Mark Williams is back and better than anyone could have expected

Mark Williams is simply playing at an elite level right now.

Austin Leake | Jan 18, 2025

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Charlotte Hornets

It's been a really frustrating and rough time for Mark Williams over the last year due to the injuries and setbacks he suffered during that time. The back injury kept him out for the majority of the 2023-24 season, and the foot injury he suffered in the fall caused him to miss the first couple of months of the season.

Now that he's fully healthy, he's reminding everyone just how good he truly is. Williams has been sensational for the Hornets as of late. Initially, the Hornets were very careful with his return to play, as he had a very strict minutes restriction, but in the long run, that decision has turned out to be a great idea.

On the season, Williams is averaging 14.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in an average of 22.4 minutes per game. The 14.5 points and the 2.2 assists are career-highs thus far, while also recording a career-high at the free-throw line with a percentage of 75.4% on 3.8 attempts per game.

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Those numbers are great, but his numbers are a little skewed due to the minutes restriction that he was previously on. In the nine games that Williams played 20 or more minutes, he's averaging 17.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, while shooting 65.3% from the field.

Oh, and it only gets better for Williams. In his last three games, he has played some of the best basketball in the league, putting up numbers of 24.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks, while having a 70.2% true shooting split.

In those three games, Williams recorded the best games of his career, as he notched a career-high of 31 points, while also coming one rebound and one point short of a 20-20 game the following game, which is a rarity in today's game.

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There's no question that the wait was well worth it, as he had missed nearly a year of basketball before his return in early December. With all of this in mind, it truly shows how impressive it is to come back stronger than he was before those injuries, especially considering the time he missed with a back injury.

It's become evident over the years that centers that battle back injuries never come back the same, but Williams came back even stronger, which is a testament to his work and the positive mindset that he kept throughout those struggles.

Williams just turned 23 years old and has plenty of room for improvement, which is a positive since he's been playing so well.