Charlotte Hornets rookie Mark Williams registered a double-double on Friday during his first career start in a loss on the road to the Boston Celtics.
Williams produced 11 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot in the 127-116 loss. He finished 4-of-7 from the field in nearly 31 minutes of work as the Hornets dropped their sixth straight game.
The 15th pick earned the start after the Hornets traded starter Mason Plumlee to the Los Angeles Clippers. It was his second double-double of the season after entering the rotating at the end of December; he had played sparingly prior to that.
The start gave Williams the opportunity to play against a different group of players. Hornets coach Steve Clifford wanted to see how Williams would respond to the challenge, and it looks as though the 21-year-old played well in that role.
Mark Williams soars for the rebound AND dishes to LaMelo!@hornets | #LetsFly pic.twitter.com/a7RGvAeMsV
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) February 11, 2023
The Hornets opted to keep Williams in the G League for much of the season. Since entering the rotation on Dec. 26, Williams is averaging 7.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 64.8% shooting from the field in 23 games.
The team viewed the assignments as a great opportunity for Williams to adjust to the competition and learn the types of coverages at the position. It is that experience that will help Williams over the final stretch of the season as he looks poised to play a larger role moving forward.
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