This is going to be an interesting season for the Charlotte Hornets. After being mired in the lower reaches of the Eastern Conference standings for much of the past decade, and winning just 27 games last season, they all of a sudden have an intriguing list full of young talent, and drastic improvement in season 2023-24 is very much a possibility.
Lamelo Ball will return to bolster their back court alongside his very capable sidekick in Terry Rozier, while their wing rotation potentially has four good to very good NBA players in the form of PJ Washington, Miles Bridges once he returns, number three pick from the 2023 draft Brandon Miller, and a forgotten All-Star by the name of Gordon Hayward.
But it's at the center position where there is perhaps the most scope for somebody to have a breakout season. With Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards and Mark Williams all on their roster for much of last season, the potential for a logjam once they were all healthy was evident, and they smartly traded away Plumlee to avoid it. Now that starting spot is there for the taking for one of their young centers, and the man who looks most likely to grab it could be set for a breakout second season.
Mark Williams
Mark Williams was a lottery selection in 2022 – just – having been selected by the Hornets with the 15th pick in that draft. After playing just three games before Christmas, he worked his way into the rotation as their backup center, but it was when Plumlee was traded that he really began to show his wares.
In his first start in the NBA he managed an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double, and he only got better as the season wore on. An 18-point, 20-rebound effort was a highlight a couple of weeks later, while he finished the season with four double-doubles in five games, including 15 points and 16 rebounds in the first game of that stretch and a 22 and 10 effort in the last.
Williams is raw in many ways, but the development that he was able to show in such a short period of time suggested that he has the potential to have a long career in the league. He's certainly put himself ahead of Nick Richards, who has had three seasons in the league, and will no doubt be the beneficiary of plenty of investment from Steve Clifford and the Hornets coaching staff both this season, and likely beyond.
With a star point guard, a good starting shooting guard and a plethora of talented wings at their disposal, the five is the position surrounded by the most uncertainty for the Hornets. If they can find a way to get productive minutes out of their center, they will have a very well-rounded starting five and could easily advance a lot more quickly than many expect, potentially even making a play at the postseason in 2023-24.
Mark Williams looms as the most likely man to get them those productive minutes. He – and his backup in Nick Richards – might sound more like an accountant than an NBA player, but don't let his name fool you. Williams has plenty to offer the Hornets, and is well-poised to have a breakout upcoming season, the likes of which could help to give the Hornets the boost that they need to compete for a spot in the playoffs.
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