The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their new big guy, with Mark Williams.
In desperate need to find a center following the shocking Luka Doncic blockbuster deal, the purple and gold immediately canvassed the market ahead of the trade deadline, and this saw them the land the former Duke sensation.
Williams became the final acquisition of the Los Angeles Lakers in this season’s big-time trade saga, acquiring him from the Charlotte Hornets for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and several draft assets.
Now as a Laker, what awaits Williams is a major burden of responsibility in the City of Angels.
He is about to fill the massive shoes which Anthony Davis embraced over the past five years in. Williams is required to anchor the team’s interior area and be a defensive presence.
As such, in the wake of major anticipation about how he’ll fit right in, Lakers fans shouldn’t be worried about what Williams can bring to the table.
Williams was chosen by the Hornets in 2022 and just based on the details of his post-draft interview, the Lakers exactly got what they wanted out of the big man.
“On the offensive end, an athletic big guy, someone that is catching lobs and finishing everything around the rim, running the floor. And then obviously on the defensive end, providing that rim protection.
“Blocking shots, altering shots, protecting the paint and doing all those things,” he said after being drafted as the 15th overall pick three years ago.
“Just doing whatever it takes to win.”
LA definitely has plenty of reasons to be excited about Williams, just as Magic Johnson recently argued. The Virginia native will be an imposing 7-foot tower for the team and will be a huge threat on both ends from defense and pick-and-roll combos.
This season, Williams is on a tear with a career-best 15.6 points to go with 9.6 boards and 2.5 assists while rejecting an average of 1.2 shots per game.
Although his injury remains a huge mystery — playing just a total of 85 regular season games since his 2022-23 rookie outing — the Lakers are optimistic to help him health-wise.
Besides, he’s just 23 years of age. Williams is perfectly suited to be a part of the team’s bright future with Doncic , who even campaigned for his potential addition.
Los Angeles got their new big guy in Williams, and sky’s the limit for what is about to unfold for them.
