The Phoenix Suns might have been down a trio of starters for Tuesday night's game versus the lowly Brooklyn Nets, but it didn't stop them pulling out another W.
Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie all missing out (Gillespie was a late scratch) which meant somebody else had to step up and lead the way.
Mark Williams has entered the chat
The 24-year-old center has been excellent for the Suns all season long, but that was down to his ability to stay on the court more than anything else.
There was always a risk in giving up a pair of first rounders for a player the Los Angeles Lakers vetoed a trade for at the eleventh hour, but the Nets win was the culmination of all that Williams can be.
Mark Williams has been a quality player for the Suns this season pic.twitter.com/yLB5700q7Z
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) January 21, 2026
His 27 points led the whole team in scoring, while the 30 minutes he managed was way up on the 23.9 that head coach Jordan Ott has played him to this point.
This felt like a real shackles off moment for the big man. With the Suns' two best offensive players sidelined, he stepped up in a big way to lead his side to a win.
Plenty of fans have been calling out for Williams to be featured more on offense in recent weeks, and now that we have gotten a glimpse of what that can be like you can be sure he'll be getting paid as much as the Suns can give him this offseason.
The Valley has also been crying out for the usage rate of Williams to increase, and there is now no reason why that also cannot happen until the rest of the roster gets healthy.
He's sitting at around 17 percent right now, although last season with the Charlotte Hornets he was above 21 percent. A return to that number seems likely for the coming games.
If coach Ott can figure out a way to continue to get the best out of Williams offensively once Booker and Green return, then the ceiling on this group will be raised.
Games like the last one prove he is the best center the franchise has had since Deandre Ayton, with the key difference being the motor of Williams. He is always looking for ways to make an impact on both ends of the court.
Having the tandem of Williams and Dillon Brooks (who finished with 26 in the win) will only get you so far, and the opponent was favorable for Williams to do serious damage.
But his ability to step it up another level in the absence of his teammates is yet another reason why the Suns were right to trade for him in the first place. A fact fans have known for a while now.