PHOENIX – The emergence of the next Phoenix Suns big man could be in the form of 23-year-old center Mark Williams.
Let’s take a step back before making any bold claims. When the Suns traded for Williams on draft night, despite also selecting another center in Khaman Maluach, it felt like Williams might be brushed out of the rotation. That hasn’t been the case. In fact, he has become the focal point—and the crème de la crème—of Phoenix’s hectic center rotation, which includes himself and three other players at the position.
Even with the competition being an emphasis, head coach Jordan Ott knew that getting Williams physically right and on the appropriate regimen was more important than anything else. When the team announced Williams would be on a minutes restriction, it showed that Ott’s vision was coming to fruition.
While Williams could’ve pouted about the decrease in workload, he made the most of it. Fast forward to his first start in the purple and orange, and he delivered a standout performance. A 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, along with four steals and two blocks, had him popping out on the stat sheet.
That wasn’t even the most impressive part for Ott, though. It was much simpler than the numbers.
“That he can do it back-to-back games. I think after the last game (vs. Utah Jazz), we just talked about his standard as we learn him and he learns us. Obviously, he’s a big presence out there, and how he’s done back-to-back games. We were changing things up for Morant tonight,” Ott said.
“He’s able to do it, so even that’s not on the box score. I think there are multiple things there we can be happy about where Mark is at, and now that’s a new standard. Keeping them to that standard is what we’re all here to do.”
It isn’t just Jordan Ott who loves Mark Williams with the Suns. Another shining supporter is point guard Collin Gillespie, who was with Williams during the pre-draft process. Gillespie shared insights about their time together during training camp and media day, expressing confidence in Williams’ development.
Gillespie knew that the former Duke big man would come around. Earlier in the week, Williams’s approach didn’t change once he joined the Suns: he stayed ready, was patient, and made sure to maximize every opportunity.
The double-double immediately catches attention, but it was much more than that. Williams has stepped up in the screen-and-roll, filling the empty pockets for easy buckets, and establishing himself as a legitimate rim threat. Those are only a glimpse of what Gillespie has seen through four games.
“A big body. He could put a ton of pressure on the rim, rolling, and screening. He sets great screens and can give guys good looks coming off the screen,” Gillespie said postgame. “And he’s done a great job on the glass as well, but you kind of see it sometimes, he makes those little plays happen off of missed shots where he’ll tip it off the glass and then keep it to himself.”
“Yeah, he’s been effective for us. And he’s going to continue to get better as he plays more games, as we get more continuity with each other while playing. It’s been awesome so far.”
The back-to-back games won’t be an issue. The mentality isn’t an issue. Williams’ on-court performance has been exceptional up to this point. Now, it’ll be about maintaining that standard for the duration of the season.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-mark-williams-sets-new-standard-first-start-phoenix