Mark Williams is ramping up activity. When will Hornets’ center return to game action?
With beads of sweat still dripping, further soaking a gray practice jersey, a wry smile formed on Mark Williams’ face as he surveyed the landscape in front of him.
The Charlotte Hornets center had just wrapped up his latest practice, continuing ramping up his activity levels as he prepares to return from a strained tendon in his foot, an injury that happened more than two months ago. And the expression on Williams’ face easily gave insight into his immediate thoughts.
Being in the mix again with his teammates is much better than what he’s experienced over the majority of the past eight weeks.
“It’s not fun, it’s draining — all those things,” Williams said Monday. “Just seeing the guys fight out there everyday and not be a part of that is not an enjoyable experience. So, I just try to come out there everyday with a smile on my face, cheer for the guys when they are out there and just do what I can.
“But it definitely sucks. It’s not something I’m used to. I obviously don’t plan on it (happening again) when I get back, so just trying to go out there and get as healthy as I can. And when I am ready, I’ll be able to help my guys on the floor.”
Barring any setbacks, there’s a chance that could happen within days. Williams is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s NBA Cup game against Philadelphia, a sign he’s making significant progress.
To gauge just how long it’s been since he last played in a competitive NBA game, consider this: He turns 23 on Dec. 10 and hasn’t suited up for meaningful action at his current age.
The big man’s last court time came in the Hornets’ win over Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023. So, he’s gone 359 days — almost a full calendar year — without being in the Hornets’ lineup.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” Williams said. “It’s not like I was planning on that in any way. It definitely sucks. But sooner than later, I’ll be back out there. I can’t wait to be out there, whenever that is.”
Logging minutes in only 62 games over parts of his first two seasons has led to questions from some about Williams’ durability and desire. Whispers of him being injury prone continue to grow louder from skeptics because of how many games he’s missed.
He shrugs at such chatter, though.
“I went to Duke, man,” Williams said. “That’s been a thing for me for a little while, hearing people say whatever they think about me. But I don’t think it affects me. I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The people around here in the organization know how badly I want to play.
“And that’s really all that matters. I really care less about what the average Joe has to say.”
Following the news about LaMelo Ball (calf) and Tre Mann (back) being sidelined for at least two weeks with their respective injuries, and with Miles Bridges still out, the Hornets could use something positive to grasp onto and Williams inching closer to a return surely qualifies as just that.
Especially since there’s been a tad bit of mystery surrounding why it’s taken Williams so long to get back up to speed when the injury was initially termed as a “minor setback” after the news was announced just before the start of training camp in October, when president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson addressed the masses at media day.
Factor in missing most of last season due to what was initially termed a lower back contusion, when he played in just 19 games, and it’s left a huge hole in the middle of the Hornets’ lineup and interior defense.
“When he comes back, it will allow us to have another big body in the paint to hopefully take care and protect the paint a lot better,” coach Charles Lee said. “Defensively, it will give us a boost immediately. And then offensively, we’ve struggled to get to the paint. And I think having some more 7-footers down there, hopefully we get a couple of more lobs or a couple of little dump offs where we are getting some paint finishes.”
Perhaps the lone positive aspect of Williams’ absence is the blossoming development of Moussa Diabate. The young Frenchman, who’s relentless on the glass, seems to do something statistically remarkable each game. In Saturday’s loss to Atlanta, he snatched eight offensive rebounds and didn’t grab a single one on the defensive end, marking the most offensive boards in a game without a defensive rebound in franchise history.
“He’s been great, super energetic, a dog on the glass,” Williams said. “Nah. Moussa has been great. We were teammates at IMG (Academy) so I’ve known him for a while. So, it’s pretty cool to see him along his journey and then for us to cross paths here in Charlotte is pretty cool.
“But nah, he’s been great. Super energetic rebounding the ball, protecting the rim. All that sort of stuff.”
Still, as nicely as Diabate has filled in, he doesn’t provide the same length as Williams or Nick Richards, who returned on Saturday following a 16-game absence with a shoulder injury. And if things keep progressing in the right direction as it has lately with Williams’ rehab, the Hornets will finally have the depth at center they anticipated leading into the 2024-25 campaign.
“I’m going to be myself every day,” Williams said. “I think for me, it’s just getting back healthy, trusting my feet, sudden movements. Jumping, running, cutting, all that sort of stuff. But I feel good. I feel like I’m in a good place and I’m excited to get out there with my guys.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2024 at 2:57 PM.
