Pros and cons of Charlotte Hornets taking Mark Williams of Duke basketball in 2022 NBA draft

David Thompson, The Fayetteville Observer
·2 min read

Duke basketball's Mark Williams may not be considered an elite scorer, but his outstanding defensive abilities were enough to make him an NBA Draft lottery pick.

The 7-foot sophomore from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was selected No. 15 overall in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. He was the second Duke player taken after Paolo Banchero was selected No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic.

Williams averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during the 2021-2022 season, was named the ACC defensive player of the year and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Williams' older sister, Elizabeth Williams, who has her jersey retired at Cameron Indoor Stadium, was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft and is in her eighth WNBA season and first with the Washington Mystics.

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The positives

Williams is 7-foot-2 with a 9-9 reach and 7-7 wingspan, making him one of the best rim protectors in the draft. Williams was a reliable scorer for the Blue Devils, shooting 72% from the field, almost all from close range.

He showed remarkable growth during his time at Duke, going from a rarely-used freshman to one of the stars in the ACC as a sophomore. He's also been seen working on his 3-point shot, which is a needed strength in the NBA.

The negatives

Williams' biggest knock is that he was born in the wrong era of basketball.

The run-and-gun league isn't a great place for tall centers who only score around the rim and there is some concern he might not be able to generate enough offense to garner a starting role.

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Charlotte Hornets pick Duke's Mark Williams in 2022 NBA Draft