The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. The team was not expected to do well this season, with few people predicting even a playoff appearance. Meanwhile, the Hornets are 37-29 and sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, only half a game behind the fifth place Hawks.
There are numerous factors at work in the Hornets’ surprisingly great season. One mostly unnoticed and unappreciated factor, however, has been the play of Marvin Williams. The 29 year old is having one of the best seasons of his career, providing numerous valuable skills for the Hornets in their quest for a successful season.
Williams has often been called a prototypical stretch four. However, that has not always been true. The 11th year pro has mostly been a league-average three point shooter, with a career percentage of 35%. But this season, Williams has finally reached the ceiling that everyone placed on him earlier in his career. The power forward is shooting threes at a career-high rate of 40%, making him an essential part of the Hornets’ offense.
Williams has had his fair share of success elsewhere, as well. The long-time Atlanta Hawk is enjoying career highs in rebounds (6.8 per game), effective field goal percentage (55.1%), and true shooting percentage (58.3%). The efficiency with which Williams has operated has made him a real weapon for the Hornets. Not only is Marvin able to create points for himself with his shooting ability, but his deadliness from range creates a multitude of space for the likes of Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson to operate. It’s no coincidence that the Hornets boast the ninth best offense in the league with a 104.5 offensive rating.
Marvin Williams’ play has also been indicative of the Hornets’ team as a whole. Of all Charlotte lineups to play at least 70 minutes together on the season, the top three feature Williams. Those three lineups have net ratings of 23.2, 21.8, and 21.5 – numbers that are not totally sustainable over larger samples but do show the impact that the shooting big-man has on the team.
Williams has also been effective on defense making him playable at all times. The big-man is holding opponents to three percentage points fewer than their average on shots within six feet of the rim, showing some ability to be a rim protector for a team in need of one. Jefferson is not a very good defensive anchor, but having an above average defender in Williams play alongside him makes him less of a liability on that end of the floor.
Marvin Williams may never be a big name, nor will he be the best, second best, or possibly even third best player on a playoff team. However, his play this season has been a crucial reason for the Hornets’ surprisingly great season. Williams has been a plus defender, helping the team become the ninth best defense in the league. On the other end of the floor, Williams has become the best high-volume shooter for the team with his efficiency and gravity as a shooter leading the Hornets to the ninth best offense in the league.
The Hornets have received advantages in the form of a great coach in Steve Clifford, and great performances from the likes of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. But the key to consistency in a fantastic season to build off of has been the play of Marvin Williams on both ends of the floor. He may never get the attention of the stars on the team, but he deserves just as much acknowledgment for his role in the Buzz City revival.
