NBA Free Agency 2014: Exploring Marvin Williams’ Fit With HornetsWith the dominoes continuing to fall at a rapid rate, Charlotte stealthily picked their hand through the slew of remaining free agents, and filled a need by signing veteran Marvin Williams to 2 year/$14 million dollar deal. While the league-wide reputation surrounding Williams might be negative because of how he was unable to meet lofty expectations after he was selected 2nd overall in the 2005 draft, the 6’8 forward has been able to be create his niche as a solid role player in this league.
During his two-year stint with the Jazz, the 6’8 Williams was able to continue to quietly develop his overall offensive arsenal. While he definitely showed small glimpses during his time with the Hawks, Williams was able to develop into a solid perimeter option. That new talent is clearly showcased by an extremely solid 35% shooting percentage from beyond the arc during the 2013-14 season.
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In a strange way, Williams’ continued improvement and subsequent reliance on his perimeter jumper has negatively impacted the rest of his offense. During his time in Atlanta, Williams heavily relied on the combination of quickness and overall athleticism which lead to him being a pretty dangerous offensive penetrator. Per 36 minutes, Williams averaged around 4.4 free throw attempts during his seven year stint with the Hawks. Even though it isn’t that impressive, that version of Williams looks like the 2nd coming of James Harden compared to the current iteration.
Perhaps the strangest aspect would be the fact that his True Shooting Percentage (TS%) has continued to drop despite his improvement from the perimeter.With Williams embarking on this transition to the Eastern Conference and the Charlotte Hornets, it’ll definitely be interesting to see how Clifford inserts him into their offensive rotation. While his perimeter skills are definitely going to make a positive impact on Charlotte, his overall offensive approach is definitely going to be put in question because of how inconsistent he was in Utah. Despite the fact that he might not be the same athlete that he was during his time with Atlanta, he’s definitely still capable of being able to cut to the basket on a consistent basis.
As we transition to the defensive end, Williams’ potential stock with the Hornets becomes a lot more of a question mark. Even though the 6’8 forward does show glimpses of being a solid defender,
Williams does struggle to consistently stay ahead of the opposition. Perhaps it’s because of the slow decline of athleticism but he still struggles with the majority of aspects of the defensive end of the court. Per Synergy Sports, opponents averaged 1 PPP (Points Per Possession) against Williams, which is well below league average.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdVgJtpe6Y4[/youtube]
With his defensive and offensive consistency issues in mind, Williams definitely does add some depth to the Hornets lineup. Standing at 6’8, Williams does have the ability to play and defend multiple positions. While he’s not the best defender in the world, Coach Clifford should definitely be able to find a solid fit in Charlotte’s rotation for Marvin Williams.
Even though his overall value might exceed his hefty 2 year/$14 million dollar price tag, his perimeter ability and potential as a utility forward could definitely turn Marvin Williams into a valuable rotation player for Charlotte.
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