Mark Williams is taking more and more places in the racket of the Suns

At the end yesterday’s match against the Kingsassures that he is not a big fan of nicknames. Earlier this week, Devin Booker called him “ anchor » from the Suns defense. Given the start of the regular season, Mark Williams it seems to be much more than that.

In 29 minutes in Sacramento, he showed interior activity with 21 points (9/12 shooting), 16 rebounds, including 9 offensive, 4 assists and 3 steals. Certainly his best game of the year for someone who already had 25 points and 11 rebounds, but in an overtime loss to the Jazz.

« He continues to set new standards for himself, for which we as a staff and team must hold him accountable », sums up his coach Jordan Ottwho sees these offensive rebounds as so much “ a very important possession for us on an evening when we are not shooting well “. Still 46% including 33% on 3-pointers in this case.

We will understand that the pivot, once competing with Nick Richards for the starting spot, is an essential element in the Suns racket. This is not just a return vacuum. As he has throughout his tenure with the Hornets, he shows night after night his ability to finish at the rim, rebound or not.

« Looking at him up close, it’s clear: he’s a real talent. We’ve already seen hints of that. It can only go up from here », notes Devin Bookerwhen Royce O’Neill notes that “ Mark has great hands, both offensively and defensively. He uses his size and wingspan to create opportunities for us to defend, whether it’s recovering the ball, blocking or deflecting a pass. It’s huge and it’s a big part of our defense. »

Devin Booker still in full adaptation

With his combination of size and athletic qualities, which his predecessor Jusuf Nurkic has much less, Mark Williams parachutes into the background. That way, the backs can put more pressure on the ball carriers, knowing that the rotations behind them are reliable.

Jordan Goodwin clearly understood that this dimension is essential. “ Especially for someone like me, who is always on the ball. I know with Marco behind me, or Os (Ighodaro), we have good circle guards… It just allows me to be more aggressive. Because I know that if I get beat up, I have someone in the circle who has my back. »

And who also serves as a fulcrum on offense, something Devin Booker is still adjusting to. “ It’s really nice. He contributes on both ends of the court, so I have to continue to reward him. He comes to my time out and says: ‘You didn’t see me at this action, I’m doing my best.’ So, I’ve been watching a lot of videos on that, because it’s a new dynamic that I haven’t really played with before. And I love it », Delivers the leader of the Suns.

Currently out of the back-to-back with a sprained knee, the pivot is nearing a double-double with 12.9 points (65% shooting) and 8.9 rebounds, just below what he averaged last year with the Hornets. But his influence is undeniable, and ” anchor » in short.

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How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.