The Los Angeles Lakers looked past Mark Williams‘ injury history as they made a huge bet on him to become Luka Doncic‘s running mate and lob threat partner.
But it appears injury concerns are not only the red flag attached to William as the Charlotte Hornets were so eager to get off of him despite his breakout season.
Two nights before the Hornets surprisingly traded their franchise center to the Lakers, their local TV analyst Terrence Oglesby slammed Williams’ effort and motor in their 124-114 loss to the Washington Wizards, this season’s NBA’s worst team.
“I’m just gonna say it: I’m OK when shots are missed. I’m OK when errors happen. But if there’s at least effort, I can live with those things,” Oglesby said during the broadcast at halftime. “Mark Williams has put together a first half that I’ve never seen from a starting center at the NBA level. Heck, even maybe the college level.
“He was so poor from an effort perspective today, that they had to switch him off of Jonas Valančiūnas and then he was giving up wide-open threes because he wasn’t hustling out to contest threes. The effort has to be better. You might be down 23 points — whatever. But the effort has to be better.”
Williams’ poor first half saw him scoring just three points on three shots and grabbing only three rebounds. He had a -15 plus-minus as the Hornets trailed by 23 at the half.
“If you’re going to be the center of a franchise where they’ve invested in you and they have planned for you to be a core piece of what they’re gonna be moving forward, that effort is unacceptable,” the former Clemson standout said of Williams.
It turned out to be Williams’ penultimate game with the Hornets.
Hard truths by @T_Oglesby22:
“I’m OK when shots are missed. I’m OK when errors happen. If there’s at least effort, I can live with those things. Mark Williams has put together a first half that I’ve never seen from a starting center at the NBA level. Heck, maybe college level.” pic.twitter.com/wDZVITx9k2
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 4, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Lakers Praised for Mark Williams Trade
While the local analyst in Charlotte lambasted the center, national commentator Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports is oblivious to that Williams’ motor slip.
O’Connor praised the Lakers’ move to acquire the 23-year-old Williams as Doncic’s running mate for this season and beyond.
“Mark Williams is a shocking addition for the Lakers,” O’Connor posted on X. “Such an incredible trade. Wow. Perfect for what they need now and into the future. Interior defensive enforcer, rebounder, screen and lob target for Luka and LeBron. Plus has untapped shooting touch. A+ deadline becomes A+++++…Injuries are of course the concern with Mark Williams. But more than worth the upside bet at age 23 [in my opinion]. Stunned the Hornets moved him even though the return is quite nice.”
Well, the people in Charlotte like Oglesby aren’t stunned why the Hornets moved on from him.
Luka Doncic Influenced Lakers Move to Get Mark Williams
Doncic is the driving force behind the Lakers’ risky play on Williams, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
“Lakers had been looking for a big but once they got Luka this week, they knew exactly what kind of big they wanted,” Shelburne reported via X. “From what I’ve heard, in Luka’s initial basketball conversations he told Lakers GM Rob Pelinka he played best when he had a vertical lob threat. When Charlotte called saying they liked Knecht and might be willing to discuss Mark Williams, the deal came into place…”
“The Lakers had previously looked at more veteran, slower/older bigs. But when Luka explained how much playing with Lively and Gafford opened things up for him in Dallas, LA felt like this was the move that would give them a shot this year and beyond.”
Williams is in the midst of a career season, averaging 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting an efficient 59.7% from the field. But he hasn’t played more than 43 games in each of his first two seasons in the NBA because of injuries, including a back issue last year.
The Lakers gave up a lot — rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap in 2030 — but they are betting on the former Duke star’s huge upside.
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