After coming on strong down the stretch of his freshman season in 2021, Mark Williams has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft after a solid sophomore year where he continued to show his chops as a rim protector. He was good in his role on this year’s star-studded Duke team where he mostly caught lobs, scored as a roll-man, and on putbacks on the offensive end while being a force down low on defense in the paint. Duke struggled with defense all year but on the interior was a spot they seemed to excel with Williams presence in the paint.
Williams should be a fairly clear-cut first-rounder this year. He’s expected to go anywhere in the 15-30 range more than likely. The big man who can’t really play on the perimeter is always unlikely to go in the top 10 nowadays but Williams should certainly be a guy who lands in the first round as guys who can protect the rim like him, tend to do.
Thank You, Duke. Forever Grateful.???? pic.twitter.com/6DyvJM8stu
— Mark Williams (@MarkWi1liams) April 18, 2022
Williams was always likely to leave Duke after this season following his sophomore year. There were questions about whether he would leave after his freshman year when he really began to flash down the stretch for last year’s team that did not make the tournament. He should be able to step onto the court next year with a nice defined role as a rim-protecting big man with a good ability to catch lobs and be a roll man, similar to his role at Duke this season.
