A new face makes an impact on a team that is depending on his rise.
“It meant a lot, it felt good. The energy in the arena was great.” Those are just some quick words from Mark Williams following his Phoenix
Suns debut last night, courtesy of Duane Rankin from AZCentral.
Williams was lucky enough to get an impactful win for the hometown crowd. He helped the team on the glass, leading them with eleven boards on the night, and showed what he can do for this team in his small dosage already.
In the 120-116 win vs. the Sacramento Kings, Williams was playing on a minute restriction. One that is precautionary, to help him get comfortable on the court and keep him healthy for the majority of the season. The big man only suited up for 24 minutes last night and proved that if he can remain healthy, he can be a valuable part of this franchise.
Williams did talk about coming off the bench. Over the past few seasons in Charlotte, the big man has been the obvious starter when healthy, but last night the team went with bringing him off the bench and running with their first preseason lineup, sticking in Oso Ighodaro.
Williams said it was “a little different, but it was what we needed.” He also stated that, “I just want to be out there, whenever I was on the court to make an impact, obviously I was in down the stretch there, so that helps… felt good though.”
For me, this is what we want to see and hear from Williams. He is being a good teammate and allowing himself to be comfortable in this role, even though he’s not usually in this situation. Not to mention the last part of his quote, “obviously I was in there down the stretch, so that helps”.
Yes, indeed, did Mark Williams help out, especially in that fourth quarter, on both sides of the ball. So let’s dive in and explore his debut game, looking at what he did right to help get this victory.
He’s got a knack for the glass
Williams led the team in rebounds and is desperately needed in that department. Last year, the Suns ranked 25th in rebounding, averaging 42.5 per game. Just last night, even if it was against a weakened front court without Sabonis, the team still nabbed 51. This shows how big a rebounding problem this team has had in the past, which hinders them from getting second-chance points.
Williams is going to be a key to their success on that end.
In this clip, the big man shows his hard work by fighting to keep possession alive after Grayson Allen’s missed three-point attempt. He is boxed out to start, but uses his length to try to keep the play alive for Phoenix. Even after losing the board, though, he does not give up, forcing the turn over and an easy slam for him to get those needed points.
One thing I have learned from watching Williams just in this one game is that he will NEVER give up, something the Suns have overlooked these past seasons. We need players who give a damn and are willing to show that on the court, and Williams is a part of that puzzle piece, hopefully meshing well.
In the following clip, the Suns fail to score, but once again, Williams shows they are not going to give up.
After another missed three in the first half, Williams crashes the boards and once again creates another second opportunity for this team. After receiving the board, he finds Brooks once again on the perimeter. The big man then sets a ghost screen and cuts to the open space underneath the basket, drawing the attention of the King’s rim protector, who is seen backpedaling and sticking to Williams.
A little bit of chaos underneath the basket causes the commotion and unfortunate turnover, but the hustle and trying to be in the best spot are key, as he is still getting comfortable in his first game.
Williams, in this play, does all the right things you want to see as a Suns fan here.
After getting the correct positioning underneath the basket, the big man then catches himself out of the play, but still fights for the rebound, saving the ball without going out of bounds. His attempt to throw the ball at the defender should not go unnoticed, even if it did not affect the play. Williams is using his basketball IQ to make the right plays, which leads the Suns to save two points from being scored on them.
This has to be my favorite play from Williams last night, as it showed his versatility for the team.
He initially is guarding Zach LaVine on a mismatch for the Kings here. That being said, the Kings still look to attack Nigel Hayes-Davis downhill, but as the Kings get past him, Williams goes to help, trying to strip the ball.
With that not working, though, Williams stays patient, waiting to jump at the right time to get the board. While the shot is getting up, Royce O’Neale is helping box out, with Hayes-Davis still following the ball handler, allowing Williams to time that jump perfectly and contest the rebound. He jumps multiple times for the ball before securing the rebound and carefully sets up possession for Phoenix on the other end.
The relentlessness of his trying to fight and keep this possession for Phoenix should show you the motor is there; can he just be healthy to do this all year?
The last rebound I wanted to highlight came late in the game. This is when the Suns have to trust Williams the most, and they did so with his impact in his debut.
On this play, Williams once again starts on the perimeter, but once the shot is taken drifts closer to the paint to get the board. Once again, he uses his patience to time the jump and fight for a possession that is so key. With the Suns only up four in a back-and-forth game, he is needed for his strong suit, and he rose to the occasion. He gets the ball, tries to throw it off the opponent, which ultimately turns into a Phoenix possession, one that would help them ice the game.
He can finish at the rim
Not only can Williams be that rebounder this team needs, but he can be effective as a lob threat and scorer down low for this team as well.
When analyzing this play, we can see that Williams sets the ghost screen, then cuts to the open space near the basket. Williams, who remains patient on both sides of the ball, waits for the defender to make the first move (raising his hands). Seeing this, Williams slides closer to the basket, allowing Collin Gillespie to find him for the easy two points.
In this play, the Suns show their relentless effort never to give up.
After Dylan Cardwell blocks Williams, the Suns force a turnover because the Kings were late to the ball. This effort from Devin Booker on Keon Ellis to keep the play alive is simply a reward for Williams. After Brooks gets the pass, he then finds Williams for the alley-oop finish, something I am sure we will see plenty of this year.
Now that is something to get the fans in the Morg on their feet, and I am here for it.
Late game sealer on the defensive end
Williams came up huge for the Suns, impressing on the defensive end late, getting two huge blocks in the fourth. In a close game with the Suns trying to come back, this is important, as it can flip the switch, seemingly as it did last night.
In this block, Williams once again used his patience to his best advantage. This big man sees O’Neale struggling to keep the defender in front of him, prompting him to shuffle closer to the basket. Once he sees O’Neale get passed, he shifts to the low block and times up the swat perfectly.
In this final clip, the big does the same thing as in the clip above. Seeing O’Neale getting beaten, he once again switches to help protect the basket, leaving his opponent open. With the Kings desperate to climb back in and to tie the game, they go up for the shot that Williams calmly meets with authority and takes care of business.
Final Thoughts
Williams will be key to many factors in the Suns’ success this year. His patience and relentlessness as an x-factor on the glass and in the paint can be a real game-changer for the Suns if he can be available all year. For the big man, this season has a lot to prove. For one, that he can be healthy, and two, working for that extension after the Suns did not offer him a rookie-scale extension, making him a restricted free agent next summer.
That being said, Williams has already showcased his ability to a plus for this team in his debut, and I cannot wait to see him get more comfortable with this team. Superstar Devin Booker said postgame he had missed Williams a few times on some alley-oops and that the chemistry will have to grow throughout the season.
“Having a rim threat like that, someone who can catch it, you know, I have to reward him for that,” is what Booker said postgame to Shane Young from Forbes. Only proving this connection will be valuable for this upcoming season.
This is something I can believe in more, after seeing William’s debut, and I hope you all can too.
