Mark Williams: Super Underrated?
Get ready for the Mark Williams breakout season. When it happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you’re a Hornets fan, you have nothing to look forward to. Well, almost nothing to look forward to. The Hornets have made a lot of dumb decisions but I’m telling you this right now. They got the Williams selection correct.
Williams, 21, was really good as a rookie. You probably didn’t notice because sticking a fork in your eye sounds like a better alternative than watching the Hornets. Still, with virtually nothing around him, the former Duke product averaged 9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1 block per game. That’s while converting 63.7% of his field goal attempts. He also cashed in on a very respectable 69.1% on his free throws.
You just saw all those numbers I just listed. All of those numbers were better than what Bam Adebayo posted in his rookie season. Williams was better as a rookie across the board compared to Bam. That’s while playing the same number of minutes. The only difference is Bam got the luxury of playing in Miami and Williams is four inches taller. I promise I didn’t make that up. You can Google it yourself.
The Bam comps may sound ridiculous but I did it for a reason. Bam is so good at being that anchor on defense that can move his feet. Those guys don’t grow on trees. Williams has a chance to be one. Plus, he feels like a more natural scorer around the rim. Williams has a long way to go to get to Bam’s level but he’s on that trajectory.
If you play fantasy basketball, this is a player I’d want to target late in rounds. The site had its first fantasy draft the other day and Williams went WAY too late (link to draft). It’s only going to be a matter of time until he’s an 18 and 10 guy. Williams is one of the most underrated players in the league. This is your warning to start paying attention.
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