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00:00 Mark Williams.
00:02 I'm going to say this, and this is going to sound like an insult, but it's not.
00:07 Mark Williams has looked like an average NBA starting center.
00:11 And I want people to realize that's a good thing.
00:14 By saying that, I'm saying he's better than 15 out of 30 other starting centers in the NBA.
00:19 Which, look, I know the Hornets' excitement for Mark Williams and fan excitement was off the roof.
00:26 We did not know that before the start of the season.
00:28 And he's only going to get better from here.
00:31 So I think at this point you can say he's like a top 15 center in the NBA.
00:36 And he's only going to improve.
00:38 So, I mean, would you think that's a fair statement, Chase?
00:43 Completely fair assessment.
00:44 I think right now, he might be, I don't want to say he's closer to 10, but he's definitely inching his way up there.
00:53 I mean, career high, 27 points.
00:54 We have to list the guys, wouldn't we? We have to go through and list.
00:56 Maybe that's a job we can do later in the season here as we get into, you know, in 40, 50.
01:03 We can rank people in positions.
01:04 That'd be a good episode.
01:06 Yeah, I mean, I have a feeling, especially by then, if the developments that we've seen so far continue.
01:11 I mean, by then he definitely might be pushing top 10.
01:14 So Mark has been so good this year, like a career high 27 points against Indiana, nine free throws in that game.
01:21 The best thing about it to me is to be able to draw those free throws.
01:25 It's not like he's, you know, this overly deceptive big that's like drawing contact on like a bunch of pump fakes and like crazy, like Alperin Shangoon, like spin moves or something like that.
01:36 He's just corralling every single ball that comes into the relative area of where he's standing.
01:43 And if he comes down with it, he goes right back up and you basically have to foul him or else he's going to finish it.
01:49 Because when you don't, he's shooting like what high 60s percent at the rim, I think right now.
01:54 Or from the field overall, like I mean, basically half a foul and where it's an automatic two points because he's just so big and has such good hands and can get pretty much his catch radius is so wide.
02:06 As one of the largest standing reaches recorded at the combine.
02:09 If you're not other than Taco Fall, like there's just so many positives to him as like a threat just standing underneath the rim that you have to foul him or else he's going to score.
02:19 And for his size, he's so nimble, like he has a couple now three or four alley-oop catches where the pass isn't quite perfect.
02:26 Like that one against the Pacers was ridiculous.
02:29 That lead it up softly off the glass.
02:32 Just unbelievable touch, agility, everything.
02:37 It's just, it's just really special.
02:39 He's so agile.
02:40 I'm always like worried he's going to get injured at some point because he's just like so flexible with what he can do.
02:46 But you talked about his scoring efficiency.
02:49 Currently his effective field goal percentage, second in the NBA, 81% behind Kayson Wallace, the rookie for Oklahoma City Thunder, who is somehow at 82%.
03:01 Just unbelievable offensive efficiency.
03:04 I will say I have been a little bit disappointed with his rim protection and I can hear the Hornets fans booing here, but his block percentage has gone down.
03:14 I think it's at 2% right now, which is basically bang average for a big man.
03:17 And for like his big selling point with coming in was to be an elite rim protector.
03:22 That is not necessarily translated just yet.
03:25 I don't think it helps being in a Steve Clifford system where Clifford doesn't want his bigs to foul.
03:31 So I think he gambles a lot less than maybe what he would do at other teams.
03:35 But the Hornets as a team are 12th in defensive rim percentage.
03:39 And they were third last year.
03:40 And by playing Mark Williams, Nick Richards, basically 48 minutes a night, their big position, they should be like a top five defensive rim percentage team.
03:52 And they haven't quite got there yet.
03:54 So that is one thing like I would say the, he certainly has moments.
03:58 He certainly, look, I'm not saying he's worse than Mason Plumlee.
04:02 Don't get me wrong.
04:03 We're in a different level here.
04:05 But overall, I sometimes feel like I could see him getting his hands on just like a few more balls, but he does alter a lot of shots that isn't blocked.
04:13 But that's the same with all bigs who are, you know, rim presidents.
04:16 They always have that there.
04:18 Yeah.
04:19 And he's definitely just going to be a natural deterrent just due to his size.
04:22 But it does seem like that one highlight block where he's like caught the ball out of the air against the Hawks is kind of like his only real rim protection highlight of the season.
04:33 Like every other best, Mark's best moments that you think of from the year are all offensive plays right now, which is definitely fine.
04:40 I mean, I was looking at this today because I was thinking about his pick and roll connection with Lomelo, which I, like palpable chemistry between the two of them.
04:49 Like Lomelo finds him in the shooting pocket like so often when he's on the roll and it just always ends up like right in Mark's hands.
04:56 And Mark has the ability to go up on either side of the rim and finish with touch around the basket or just dunk the ball if he needs to.
05:02 But he is scoring 1.6 points per possession as a P&R role man right now.
05:08 Like it's like that is just crazy production.
05:12 And all he has to do, he's such a good screen setter, too, which just makes it even better because he can take, he takes advantage of his size in all of the ways that are necessary to be a good role man.
05:23 Like great hands, great catch radius, nimble, sets great screens, strong, rolls hard to the rim every time, like looking to either score or make a play.
05:32 Like he's not just doing it just to take up space.
05:34 It's always with a purpose.
05:36 Very, very good in that regard so far.
05:39 I feel like people weren't really looking forward to Mark as an offensive player when he came into the league, but he's been really good on that end so far.
05:46 And I think the rim protection will become more consistent in time.
05:50 So I think it will as he learns, plays as he gets more comfortable starting the scheme.
05:55 But I agree. I think so far he's been better offensively probably than he has been defensively.
06:00 And I'm going to I'm going to disrespect MC Hammer right now because I want to finish on this last point.
06:07 You talked about the rapport building between Williams and Ball and it's something I've noticed too.
06:11 How many assists do you think Lamele Ball has got with Mark Williams so far this season?
06:19 Total, like across the game?
06:22 Total across all the games. I have the number.
06:25 I'll go 14.
06:28 Nine.
06:29 Nine? Okay.
06:30 Which ranks third. Now this was taken from today.
06:33 So I don't know if I had last night's data in from the Dallas game.
06:36 I presume it did, but I don't know for sure.
06:38 I would imagine so.
06:39 Yeah, that ranks third on the team.
06:42 Who do you think the two people had?
06:47 Number one, I'm going to guess is PJ.
06:50 Ding, ding, ding. 17 assists to PJ.
06:52 Yeah, I was going to say that sounds right.
06:54 A lot of those layups come off of Lamele's. Is number two Gordon Hayward?
06:59 It is. Gordon Hayward as well.
07:01 You did well. You passed the test. Gold star for you.
07:05 Yeah, I just thought it was interesting.
07:07 In my head, like he was going to be higher.
07:10 I just think that his assists to Mark are always so, like, loud.
07:14 Yeah, that's definitely true.