Mar 28, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks for a basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Mark Williams' recent hot stretch provides promising future in Charlotte

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 4:08 PM ET

It may be yet another lost season for the Charlotte Hornets, but even in a stretch of meaningless games, they are finding some answers.

Third-year center Mark Williams has elevated his game, particularly on the offensive end of the floor where he's shooting the best ball of his young career. In his last three games alone, Williams is 23-of-26 (88%) from the floor.

Yes, many of those looks are from within a couple of feet of the basket, but still, it's a pretty impressive mark...pun intended. His shot diet hasn't been completely within that 2-4 foot range, however. A week ago, he attempted a pair of jump shots, and to everyone's surprise, they both went in.

Is he going to start taking those shots more regularly? Eh, I don't know if we're quite there just yet, but what it does show is a growth in confidence. He's feeling it on that end of the floor, which allows him to try to expand his game. It also helps that if he tries something and it doesn't work, it's not really going to impact the team when you're 19-57 on the season. So, heck, why not shoot a three or two in one of these final games? What do you have to lose?

But for the long-term view of this, I believe it solidifies the front office's stance on Williams as a part of the team's future. He's proven to stay healthy since his return to the floor after missing the start of the season, and since the rescinded trade with Los Angeles, he's been extremely consistent and efficient. It's going to be difficult to find another big man who can match his offensive production for the same price or cheaper. If he can stay on the floor, he 100% needs to be a part of what Jeff Peterson is trying to build here.