As the Phoenix Suns' season unravels before our very eyes, one player who has been immune from criticism is starting center Mark Williams. The reason is not a good one; he will miss most of the season after having shoulder surgery, but there is now no denying that he is integral to the Suns if they want to win a playoff series, and his value has increased to the franchise as a result.
Williams is levels above every other option Suns have
But his absence has quickly highlighted just how much better than Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach he is when healthy. The 24-year-old combines the best traits of both of the other big men in Phoenix, and they are qualities the Suns badly need. They're rocking the worst defensive rating in the entire NBA right now (125.8), while the overlapping qualities of their best players are causing them real problems.
Ighodaro is an athletic big who is more suited to playing as a power forward, and although he is a bit quicker and more explosive than Williams, when you put all of that together in a package and combine it with defensive IQ, it is Williams who is the better player. He is also the more comfortable offensive option, with Ighodaro failing to provide any consistency since being drafted in the second round.
Maluach is a more interesting case because he has the highest ceiling of all three players. But he is still some way off being a regular contributor, although his size rivals that of Williams and as he gets more reps, he will be able to anchor the defense in a way that Williams never will. Obviously, both available players have health working in their favor, and to miss an often-injured center this much is poor roster management by the Suns.
One skill Maluach has over the other two is a 3-point shot that only looks like it is going to improve, but Williams doesn't need to stretch the court to have an impact. The Suns were a top-10 defensive team last season when he was available, and now they're the worst in the league. The Miles Bridges addition has contributed to that, but this is all the evidence Williams needs to know his worth.
Suns unlikely to ever get best out of Williams while trying to win
His injury woes have come at unfortunate times, as the Suns look close to making some major roster decisions. Devin Booker for Bam Adebayo was one such idea recently put forward, which would make the need for Williams obsolete if it ever happened. As unlikely as that sounds, when Williams returns, this team is going to be in a different place.
Perhaps rebuilding with the center as one of their foundational pieces, or maybe he will be traded if the front office blows it all up. We're calling it now: even though his value is increasing by virtue of being unavailable, Mark Williams will never win a playoff series while he is with the Phoenix Suns.
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