Duke basketball alum doesn't mess around in first NBA start
![Duke basketball alum doesn't mess around in first NBA start Duke basketball alum doesn't mess around in first NBA start](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTk1Nzk2NDg2MDYyMDg5MjQy/duke-basketball.jpg)
Now that veteran Duke basketball product Mason Plumlee is with the Los Angeles Clippers as of the Charlotte Hornets' trade-deadline move on Thursday, recent two-year Blue Devil Mark Williams looks like the team's new full-time starting center.
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The 21-year-old, who went No. 15 at the 2022 NBA Draft but spent much of the first few months of the season gaining confidence in the G League, drew his first NBA start on Friday night.
Sure, the Hornets (15-42) fell on the road to former Duke basketball one-and-done Jayson Tatum and his league-leading Boston Celtics (40-16), 127-116. Tatum, a bonafide Most Valuable Player candidate, tallied a game-high 41 points, his 31st game this season with 30 points or more and seventh eclipsing 40.
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But Williams took another big step in validating Charlotte's trust in him as a potential long-term centerpiece down low.
He played 31 minutes, posting the best plus/minus (-3) among Hornets starters while scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Note that Williams had posted a double-double, only the second of his pro career, by the 4:26 mark in the third quarter.
And the 7-foot-1, 240-pound rookie was efficient, shooting 4-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. Add to that his two assists, one block, and zero turnovers.
GO TO WORK, ROOK 💪@MarkWi1liams getting things done on both ends.@SharonviewFCU // #MemorableMoments pic.twitter.com/XHZAqTfq6Z
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) February 11, 2023
Through 26 appearances for the Hornets, Williams is averaging 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in only 14.6 minutes per game. Expect all those numbers to rise quickly.
Next up for Mark Williams and the future-building Charlotte Hornets is a home bout against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets (38-18) and their reigning two-time MVP in the post, Nikola Jokic, at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
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