Mark Williams Won't Get His Revenge Game Against the Charlotte Hornets

When the Charlotte Hornets take the floor tonight against the Phoenix Suns, there will be a noticeable absence...former Hornets center Mark Williams.

Just before getting an opportunity to face his former team, Williams suffered a stress reaction in the third metatarsal of his left foot, according to multiple reports, and is expected to miss a minimum of two to three weeks, per NBA insider Mark Stein.

Williams has taken a lesser role on the offensive end in Phoenix, which has helped his efficiency, increasing his field goal percentage to 63%, returning to the level he was at over the first two years of his career in the Queen City. He's currently averaging 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as their starting center.

Statistically speaking, Williams has the edge over his replacement in Charlotte, Moussa Diabaté, in a lot of areas, as you can see in the table below. But when you watch the games, it doesn't feel that way. Instead, Diabaté feels like a major improvement.

Stats	Mark Williams (with CHA)	Moussa Diabaté
PPG	15.3	8.4
RPG	10.2	8.8
Off. Rebounds	3.1	3.7
BPG	1.2	1.0
FG%	60.4%	64.3%
Offensive Rating	127.1	142.0
Defensive Rating	111.4	112.5

Firstly, let's keep in mind that the stats Williams posted with the Hornets last year were with a severely banged-up squad, which meant he had to have a larger role on the offensive end. He was taking twice as many shots as Moussa has this season, averaging 10.2 per game to Diabaté's 5.1.

The defensive impact just wasn't as noticeable, regardless of what the rating says. When you watched Williams, you never felt his presence. Well, maybe you did, but it came in spurts. Remember how many times a no-name big man or someone who isn't known as a prolific scorer would dominate him in the post and have a career night? It happened way too often.

With Diabaté, you feel that energy every night, on every possession. He's going to hound his guy when he gets a touch in the paint and, more importantly, has the ability to switch onto wings and guards because of his quickness, length, and elite athleticism. Williams, on the other hand, lived under the bucket. If he got switched onto a guard on the perimeter? Chicken salad, as Eric Collins likes to say.

Williams has the potential of being a quality two-way player in this league, but the consistency was never there, and Diabaté's energy and ability to run the floor fit this high-flying offense much better.

Williams may have a chance to suit up against his former team when they come to Charlotte on April 2nd. That would be a little over the estimated two-to-three week timeline.