The Suns took a swing on Mark Williams in the offseason and he’s proving them right so far. After having his trade to the Lakers voided last season, Williams has been a revelation in Phoenix as the team’s starting center. He’s continued to hammer his strengths and even expanded his game a little this season.
Mark Williams is proving all the doubters wrong.
Williams had a lot of question marks surrounding him during his time in Charlotte. There were doubts about his play style translating to wins, but he’s quickly turning that notion around on the Suns.
Williams has looked better on defense than ever, which is contributing to the team’s overall defensive toughness.
He’s also quietly one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers this season. Williams is averaging 13 points per game on 65% shooting from the field.
Yes, many of his attempts are right at the rim but he’s using his physicality to get good looks there. Williams is a great screener and athletic finisher that only needs a small opening to convert an opportunity.
Opposing defenses have struggled to keep up with the unexpected parts of Williams’ game. For example, he has a surprisingly nice touch for a man of his size.
He uses it to hit floaters and shoot 76% from the free throw line. He also seems to have at least one easy finish per game simply from outrunning the opposing center down the court.
Most importantly, Williams has answered the injury question that loomed large after the Lakers declined a trade for him. He’s played 21 of the Suns’ 25 games and started a majority of them. His reliable presence at center has even given the front office flexibility to acquire upgrades at other positions.
The Suns were criticized in the offseason for trading away two first round picks to acquire Williams, but it's proving to be a worthwhile gamble thus far.
It's also worth noting that both were extremely late picks - one was #29 overall in the 2025 draft, used to select Liam McNeely, and the other was the least favorable in 2029 between Cleveland, Utah and Minnesota.
It's unlikely to get solid players at such a late draft position, but the Suns may have found their center of the future in the trade. Williams is still only 23 years old and showing rapid development.
He can grow into one of the league's most solid centers and also help win games right now. Trading for Mark Williams was exactly the type of steal that the Suns needed to retool their roster for a playoff run after last season's disastrous outcome.