Bathed in the Rapture of Mark Williams Thread

[BigSlam]

I think? Unless there’s a trade?

[Liver_Pooty]

Hell we may end up trading him for Golden States first rounder next year at this point.

Love the pick

[JDR720]

Pre-Draft Analysis
May 24, 2022: (Winners and losers of the 2022 NBA draft combine) -- Williams' 9-foot-9 standing reach will officially make the Duke center the longest player in the NBA, and our historical measurement database, the moment he steps foot on the floor, edging out Mo Bamba (9-7.5), Rudy Gobert (9-7) and Boban Marjanovic (9-7). Williams' sheer reach immediately makes him a game-changer as both a lob-catcher and rim-protector, elements we saw all season in the ACC as he finished a remarkable 76% of his shots at the rim in the half court. Williams also ranks No. 3 among our top 100 in block percentage and fourth in offensive rebound percentage, regularly creating extra possessions with tap-outs thanks to his timing and length. On top of all that, the fact that Williams weighed in at 242 pounds despite having considerable room to fill out his frame (5.4% body fat) bodes well for the 20-year-old, as he's not the most physical big man out there. Expect Williams to generate significant interest throughout the lottery, potentially even leapfrogging fellow center Jalen Duren. -- Mike Schmitz

March 28, 2022: (Final Four week mock draft) -- Williams was the most impactful player on the floor in the Elite Eight, and he is in the midst of a phenomenal NCAA tournament, posting 58 points, 35 rebounds and 16 blocks in his four-game run to the Final Four, hitting 25 of 31 shots in that span, 13 of which have been dunks.

He is a game-changer on both ends of the floor with his combination of size (7-foot-1) and length (7-foot-8 wingspan), providing a steady offensive presence with his excellent hands, finishing ability and rim protection thanks to his mobility, timing and reach. He is constantly throwing his body around in the paint and hustling to keep plays alive with an insatiable intensity level.

Williams' upright stance guarding on the perimeter, occasional struggles with physicality navigating screens and mediocre timing tracking loose balls off the defensive glass weren't as much of an issue this past weekend as they've been in the past. His lack of passing ability (zero assists in the past three games) and shooting range aren't ideal for a big man projecting to the modern NBA game, but there's a clear role for a 20-year-old, lob-catching, rim-protecting center who plays hard and still has room to improve.

It will be an interesting litmus test to see how much the NBA values a center in Williams' mold these days, as a decade ago there would be no question that he'd be an easy top-10 pick. It wouldn't be surprising to see Williams still emerge as a lottery candidate, and it's hard to envision him falling out of the top 20 as long as his pre-draft process doesn't reveal any red flags. -- Jonathan Givony

March 15, 2022: (2022 NBA mock draft: Drafting players competing in the NCAA tournament) -- Williams' 7-foot-1, 242-pound frame and 7-foot-7 wingspan certainly stand out at the college level. The ACC defensive player of the year is one of the best shot-blockers in this draft class and brings a consistent presence as a vertical spacer and an offensive rebounder for Duke, finishing 71% of his field goal attempts, with nearly half of those makes coming on dunks. Williams isn't quite as feared defensively as you might expect considering his accolades, as you frequently see opposing teams post him up or challenge him in the pick-and-roll, where he's still a major work in progress. His upright stance on the perimeter and struggles covering ground fluidly are question marks projecting to the NBA level, as is the fact that the game simply moves too fast for him at times on both ends of the floor. -- Jonathan Givony

February 25, 2022: (Projecting Duke players) -- Strengths: Williams' strengths are clear-cut: He's a high-level rim protector, vertical spacer and tremendous offensive rebounder, making him an easy fit at the NBA level. Williams' 7-foot-7 wingspan allows him to change all types of shots at the rim and is a huge reason he's blocking 5.3 shots per 40 minutes so far this season, which ranks third among prospects in the ESPN Top 100. He's proven capable as a pick-and-roll drop defender when fully engaged, using his defensive range and timing to swallow up guards in the paint. He's also shown glimpses as a switch defender when he fully understands the scouting report and gives himself enough space to contain the guard yet remain close enough to contest.

Offensively, Williams puts his huge reach to good use both as a finisher and offensive rebounder. He's already mastered the tap-out to create extra possessions, and his 13.2 offensive rebounding percentage is one of the best in the country. Even more valuable is his lob-catching, as his catch radius is up there with some of the most impressive in the NBA and he's converting an incredible 73.5% of his shots at the rim in the half-court, good for 5th in the NCAA behind names like Walker Kessler (Auburn), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) and David Roddy (Colorado State). He's hammered home lobs from all different angles, either ferociously slamming home passes or simply guiding the ball through the net with finesse. The fact that Williams has sound shooting mechanics (75% on free throws) and can make occasional high-low and backdoor reads is the cherry on top of an already NBA-ready shot-blocker and lob-catcher.

Weaknesses: The biggest question Williams has to answer is whether or not he'll get played off the floor against small-ball teams in the NBA. While agile, he's no stranger to getting caught upright in pick-and-roll, leaving him little margin for error both in drops and on switches. He's also not always the most physical 1-on-1 defender, too often allowing deep catches or simply letting far less talented bigs spin past him for easy buckets. His balance and physicality leave something to be desired, which shows both as a finisher, interior defender and defensive rebounder at times. With every NBA team looking for ball-handling, passing bigs in the Banchero mold, Williams still has questions to answer in those areas. Even if he's already a better passer than some rim-running bigs, he can still stand to sharpen his short-roll reads and learn the nuances of igniting possessions with dribble-handoffs. Although he has a clear role, modernizing his game on both ends will be important.

Comps at the next level (ceiling/floor) There aren't many players in the NBA with Williams' sheer length (7-7 wingspan), yet there is no shortage of effective centers who have carved out a role as lob-catching, shot-blocking bigs. Mitchell Robinson comes to mind as a tall, mobile 5 who has a huge catch radius and can put a lid on the rim defensively. Williams isn't quite as agile on the perimeter as Robinson, while the Knicks' big man never showed the same glimpses of passing as Duke's 20-year-old sophomore.

Robert Williams, who was a potential lottery pick if it weren't for injury red flags, would be an excellent possible projection for Mark Williams. The Celtics center has emerged as one of the league's most underrated bigs thanks to his combination of lob-catching, rebounding, rim protection and passing. Like Boston's starting center, Mark Williams has a similarly massive standing reach, can block jump shots like few bigs in all of basketball, and is also somewhat underrated in his ability to make basic reads on the perimeter. If Williams' passing never materializes, JaVale McGee, who has started over 350 NBA games at age 34, is a relatively stable outcoe for the Blue Devils first-rounder.

Optimal/practical NBA team fits: Williams makes a lot of sense for teams that don't rely on playing through their center too much on the perimeter. Basically, teams that have had success with run-and-jump- style bigs in the past. The Mavericks come to mind, as Luka Doncic hasn't quite had a lob threat and rim protector like Williams since playing with Edy Tavares in Real Madrid. The Rockets make some sense, as Williams would give young guards like Jalen Green and Josh Christopher a lob threat they currently don't have in Alperen Sengun or Christian Wood. Although his fit with Sengun is a little questionable, Williams would immediately give the NBA's worst defense a face-lift in the rim protection department.

The Thunder and their treasure-trove of picks also make some sense as Williams' vertical spacing would further unlock Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's playmaking, and he gives the Thunder -- who have been playing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl at center -- a dimension its roster currently doesn't have. The Spurs don't have a big in Williams' mold on their roster, and they hold three picks in the top-20. Gregg Popovich traditionally likes bigs who can transfer the ball side to side and keep the offense flowing, but Williams certainly fills a need if the Spurs buy his potential as a passer, at least to the level of a Jakob Poeltl-type. -- Jonathan Givony

Post-Draft Analysis
As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hornets are trading the No. 13 pick, Jalen Duren, to the Detroit Pistons. The Hornets could have gone in a lot of different directions -- additional frontcourt help, depth on the wing with Gordon Hayward's uncertain health status, or another guard to play alongside and behind the versatile LaMelo Ball. Trade rumors swirled here for weeks leading up to the draft, as many around the NBA believed the front office didn't have an appetite to add another rookie to the rotation after a somewhat surprising coaching change indicated the team has higher hopes than just making the NBA play-in game.

Standing 7-2, Williams is a huge physical outlier, with a 9-9 standing reach that will make him the longest player in the NBA. He was an absolute game-changer at Duke on both ends of the floor with the non-stop energy he offers, providing a steady offensive presence with his excellent hands and finishing ability and putting a lid on the rim defensively thanks to his mobility, timing and reach. One of the draft's best offensive rebounders, Williams is constantly throwing his body around in the paint and hustling to keep plays alive. -- Jonathan Givony

[Walt Cronkite]

Cautiously optimistic. Nice to have a giant. Fingers crossed.

[HornetJail]

I love it. That 9'9 standing reach just screams everything we've needed all these years at C. Even if we don't trade for a win now center, I'm fully on board giving him and Kai like 20mpg apiece and 8 min of PJ to fill out our center spot. (still please get an immediate guy for the next year or two)

[BigSlam]

Rim protector. Huge unit. Makes his FT’s at a good clip. Young.

That’s all good stuff.

Is he a ball mover? Does he have a post game? Ferocious rebounder? Can he start as a rookie?

Other than size and rim protection, what else does he bring?

Because I know very little about this draft class, someone educate me on him.

[Diop]

lets go Long Dong Williams

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

Read on Twitter

[LofJ]

Read on Twitter

[Robot Rock]

Love it. Absolutely love it.

[LofJ]

Mark Williams is a really high character kid, he's huge, he has some skills, he can rebound, and he's a fantastic rim protector. He's everything we need on this team.

[BigSlam]

lets go Long Dong Williams

Big Willy: The Mark Williams Thread?

[BigSlam]

American Gobert: The Mark Williams Thread?

[Liver_Pooty]

Duke wins the national title if he doesn't get in foul trouble against unc. Actually got in foul trouble quite a few times. Needs to get stronger, but that will come quickly. Has a very good release. I'd rather not see him defend on the perimeter, but he can depending on who it is. He's going to be a very good player, but I do not foresee him starting his rookie year.

[Liver_Pooty]

And to elaborate on LoJs post he is super high character. You won't see him sipping pink lemonade I assure you.

[chabber]

Let's go, love this pick!

Finally got our big, and oh boy is he a big one!

I think he has a nice touch too.

[KingCat]

Hoping he gets to be Tyson Chandler level player

[LofJ]

And to elaborate on LoJs post he is super high character. You won't see him sipping pink lemonade I assure you.

Yeah, his Dad is a surgeon I think and his sister is one of the best defensive players in the WNBA.

[JDR720]

The best thing is he fits great with all our other young players.

Melo
Bou
Miles
PJ/Thor
Williams/Kai

Between him, Kai and Thor we suddenly have some legit length inside.

[BigSlam]

Duke wins the national title if he doesn't get in foul trouble against unc. Actually got in foul trouble quite a few times. Needs to get stronger, but that will come quickly. Has a very good release. I'd rather not see him defend on the perimeter, but he can depending on who it is. He's going to be a very good player, but I do not foresee him starting his rookie year.

Is he a plodder, or can he get up and down the court?