Why Mark Williams is the Suns’ unsung 26-game MVP

The story of Phoenix, Arizona and her loved ones Phoenix Suns should be included Mark Williamsif not already. Ever since he was traded to the Suns in the draft, many thought it would be a mistake.

After all, the team drafted standout Duke center Khaman Maluach with their 10th pick. However, everything was aligned for Phoenix’s current starting center to have a breakout season.

For starters, the team came up with a new and improved injury plan. Constant preparation and adjustment made him one of the more underrated bigs in the NBA.

however, Williams found his home with the Sunsand some of it doesn’t even come from production. It comes from being valued and respected as a legitimate player.

He avoided the Charlotte Hornets during media day regarding its use and playing time. In a new situation, environment and new people, he was the MVP of the team.

Mark Williams’ numbers show just how MVP he is for the Suns

Maybe this is an overly analytical statistic, but the numbers don’t lie. They are out of the team’s starting line-up five points better with Williams in the lineup.

Considering he was on the mend for injuries, that’s an impressive number. However, it is also surprising that he is the leader of that starting line-up.

But does that number illustrate its impact? Not at all. In fact, there is much more to the puzzle that makes him such a dominant force for the Sun.

For starters, he’s an anchor in the paint. There’s such a gravitas to him that opposing bigs don’t want to bend down to help handle the ball because it will be easy for Williams.

That made him quite a threat, as evidenced by his 66.5% shooting from the field. The constantly designed handovers between Grayson Allen, Devin Booker and Colin Gillespie, among other ball handlers, made Williams’ productivity more prolific.

Roice O’Neale and these PnR repeats in the last 4 quarters — oops for Mark Williams here

More PnRs for them here

Patience when he gets into his + their gap *keeps* moving, leaves Mark Williams unmarked as Royce O’Neill steals control of the flow pic.twitter.com/NckdIs2icm

— Stephen Pridgeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) December 6, 2025

Not to mention, head coach Jordan Ott was Williams’ biggest advocate. He often talked about how the game plan changes instantly and the gravitational pull it has on both sides.

For years, the Suns never had a real threat at the rim. Now they do, and it’s paying dividends.

The constant encouragement from the Suns is helping Mark Williams

To go back to the previous point about searching, that is a good part of its success. However, he is in a contract year, so skeptics might say that has something to do with it.

At this point, it may be about proving to himself that Williams can be an impact and top player on a struggling team. He held his own against guys like Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Rudy Gobert.

Some of the league’s best centers and most versatile players were limited by Williams’ presence. The talent and potential was always there, and still is. But the biggest question about his ability was his availability.

He has been suspended for four games this season for back-to-back games. It was something Ott had planned at the start of the season. And in those games, the team is 1-3 averaging 38 rebounds per game, compared to 42.9 with him in the.

Even with The Suns are laying out the vision of Williams in the center rotationhe rose to the occasion and was clearly the de facto option.

His teammates love him, his coaches love him, and the organization and fans seem to feel the same way. He may not bring the flash like his Phoenix counterparts, but he remains the unsung MVP of his team.