NBA expert blown away by Mark Williams performance in Hornets win, ‘if the Lakers could get a guy…’

At a late stage of the NBA season where teams are impacted by injuries, the New York Knicks were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets fully deserved their win over the New York Knicks, just their 18th win of the season so far.

While the Knicks players admitted playing below standard, there were some performances to celebrate on the Hornets side.

LaMelo Ball scored 25 points, supported by a 15-10-4 night from Miles Bridges. One of the other big scoring nights came from Mark Williams, who was dominant in the paint.

Williams scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, more boards than any player on the court, with Karl-Anthony Towns leading the Knicks with 10.

Mark Williams’ big performance was one element of post-game discussion on New York based MSG Network, reacting to the Knicks loss.

Veteran reporter Alan Hahn picked out Williams’ dominant showing, making a reference to his voided trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking to host Bill Pidto, Hahn said: “And then there’s Mark Williams, boy I tell you what, Bill, if the Lakers could get a guy like him, how good would they be.

“If they had a center that could do the things that he does… block shots, finish, at the rim, rebound, look at the numbers he put up.

He then added that Williams isa “clearly very healthy,” an apparent dig at the Lakers’ concerns over the Hornets center’s health.

Mark Williams was the center identified by Luka Doncic in the wake of his trade to the Lakers, who could potentially help the team.

The Lakers struck a deal, sending Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht and a 2031 first round pick to the Hornets, before the deal was shockingly rescinded.

The Lakers cited an unstated health reason for their decision, although Mark Williams is on record suggesting there could be more to it.

Williams is trying to move past the failed trade, as his latest performance showed. The Lakers are making do with Jaxson Hayes at center, who is playing well – but there is a sense they can still upgrade the position.

As Hahn points out, Williams on the Lakers could have been a scary opposition, with Paul George one player who expressed relief the trade did not go through.