The Charlotte Hornets got trounced by the Washington Wizards at home on Monday. However, the Dallas Mavericks' recent misadventure and the 10-point margin shouldn't distract fans from the fact that it was an embarrassing loss for the Hornets.
The 8-41 Wizards have now won three games against Charlotte and were even on the way to a resounding victory on Monday before the host squad rallied a bit in the second half to cut the lead.
Miles Bridges had one of the best outings of his career, recording his first-ever triple-double (24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) and taking over the offense to cover for the absence of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Also, Nick Smith Jr. broke out of his slump, scoring 24 and sinking four shots from beyond the arc.
Mark Williams has drawn some comparisons to Nikola Jokic
Perhaps the Hornets would have had a better chance of stealing the win against the Wizards had Mark Williams got into his rhythm earlier.
The rising star finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists. However, he started the contest on the wrong foot, putting up just three markers and three boards in the first half. Williams kept waiting in vain for the ball to come to him, but his teammates failed to keep him involved on offense.
It also appeared that the coaching staff's decision to assign him to roam on defense instead of covering Jonas Valanciunas in the first two quarters threw him off.
Things changed after halftime, as he picked it up on both offense and defense. The Hornets also outscored the opponents by 17 in his 15 minutes of action in the second half.
Williams has already shown that he is capable of getting buckets, as evidenced by his impressive performance against a former Defensive Player of the Year. However, he can take his game to the next level by learning how to initiate the offense instead of waiting to get fed the rock.
Interestingly, Charlotte coach Charles Lee has seen Williams' ability to direct the offense and make plays with the ball in his hands. Lee said last month via RG.org about his ward, "So I think when he has the ball, he makes it different as a big 'cause he can do some of the [Nikola] Jokic-type things with passing."
Of course, it's unfair to expect the third-year center to eventually evolve into the second coming of the three-time MVP. Still, if he can inherit some of the court vision that Jokic has become known for, his potential to become a star will be easier to realize. Moreover, it will unlock another dimension of the Hornets' offense, which has been one of the worst in the league this season.
Williams has occasionally demonstrated his knack for passing in the 2024-25 campaign, where he has averaged a career-high 2.5 assists per contest. In addition, he had dished out 4.0 assists per match in his last four appearances before the Wizards bout. Unfortunately, he registered just two dimes on Monday, both of which came in the first half.
Hopefully, the Hornets big man can be even more Jokic-like in his next game. Of course, Lee also has the task of overseeing his development and running an offensive playbook that maximizes his talent.