What if Mark Williams ended up joining Luka Doncic and LeBron James at the Lakers in February 2025? What would have happened? No one will ever know. The Californians finished the season tinkering at position 5 until the first round of the playoffs against the Wolves. JJ Redick also stood out during Game 5, synonymous with elimination, by not bringing any pivot into play…
The “front office” has since corrected the situation by recovering Deandre Ayton, and Mark Williams has rebounded to the Suns. However, the 24-year-old pivot keeps this quack in his throat, as he confided in the podcast “The Old Man and The Three” with his teammates Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn.
“Honestly, I was like, ‘Fuck you all,’ really. I was excited to get to the Lakers. I thought I was the profile that could really help them entering the playoffs. And of course, when they were eliminated, I tweeted a little smiley face. I had hatred”he declared.
Jordan Goodwin, today his teammate at Phoenix, was then playing for the Lakers. He too witnessed the frustration in the locker room, first because a canceled trade remains rare in the NBA, but also because everything seemed already closed. Dalton Knecht, announced as the main bargaining chip, had already prepared to pack his bags.
Increased motivation against Los Angeles
“We thought the matter was settled. And then one fine day: boom, what happened? They said his knee was in bad shape. But he had just played the week before or something, so I was a little confused.”recalled Jordan Goodwin. “So it was a little weird, especially since Dalton had already left. His locker and belongings had already been removed. He was right next to mine, and his name was next to my locker. So I was like, ‘Okay, I already know him a little bit,’ and I was excited too, because we had a post 5 that was finally coming up. And the next day, it all went up in smoke. »
What followed fueled resentment: Mark Williams continued his trajectory without any major physical problems, and he seemed to take advantage of each confrontation against the Lakers to settle scores. Last season, he already shone by allowing Charlotte to leave California with a victory.
We have to believe that he continued the tradition this season since in three confrontations against the Lakers this season, Phoenix won twice, and Mark Williams shone each time, recording 17 points (22/26 shooting), 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 25 minutes on average over three games. There is still a match at home against Los Angeles at the end of February, and there is no doubt that the Suns pivot will still be particularly motivated…
| Mark Williams | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | CHA | 43 | 19:15 | 63.7 | 69.1 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 7.1 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 9.0 | |
| 2023-24 | CHA | 19 | 26:44 | 64.9 | 71.9 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 9.7 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 12.7 | |
| 2024-25 | CHA | 44 | 26:37 | 60.4 | 0.0 | 80.4 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 15.3 |
| 2025-26 | PHO | 29 | 23:52 | 65.7 | 100.0 | 78.4 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 8.3 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 12.8 |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
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