Mark Williams Shows Promise, Learning the NBA Game 'Quickly'

The Hornets desperately needed to add another big man this offseason and after several rumors flew around about the possibility of acquiring Rudy Gobert, Deandre Ayton, Myles Turner, and others, Charlotte opted to go young and a whole heck of a lot cheaper by drafting Mark Williams in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Williams is mainly known for his ability to block shots and be a key defender in the paint. However, he does have a solid offensive game that doesn't get talked about nearly as much as it should. He didn't attempt a single three during his time at Duke but it's not because he's incapable; he just didn't need to. He was so much bigger, stronger, and more athletic than opposing bigs that they just threw the ball to him down on the block and let him do his thing. As a matter of fact, GM Mitch Kupchak even pointed out that his ability to shoot was one of the things that impressed him the most during his pre-draft workout with the team.

Now, obviously, Williams won't be living on the perimeter but you can expect him to take a few shots here and there as he grows more comfortable and confident in his shot.

As far as his minutes in Summer League are concerned, I asked coach Jordan Surenkamp if he is looking to get him a certain amount of playing time per game or if they are going to worry more about situational stuff.

"Yeah, that's something I'm going to have a conversation with the front office, Coach Clifford, and staff about. That's just something that we're going to have to navigate as we go. At this point, there is no set rotation in but there are obviously guys that are going to need to get reps and opportunities, so how we piece those together, how it plays out is still something we're working through."

Surenkamp did note, however, that Williams has shown a lot promise during the team's three-day minicamp.

"How quickly he is able to pick up on things [is what's most impressive]. He had the deer in the headlight look a little bit on day one as most rookies do. We have such a short period of time to install offensive concepts, actions, and then you go through an entire defensive philosophy, it's a lot for a young kid. His ability to pick up on things very quickly has been really fantastic. He asks questions, he has the right attitude about all of that stuff. He's not afraid to make mistakes and that's how you learn and how you grow. And then ultimately, he embraces all of the pillars that we want within this organization. He competes every single day. He plays selfless basketball. He pours himself into others and is really a big piece into trying to make this organization a winning program."

Williams will make his debut with the team this Friday when they take the court in Las Vegas against the Indiana Pacers at 6 p.m. EST.

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