Marvin Williams not only put together the most efficient offensive campaign of his 13-year NBA career, but also continued to solidify himself as one of the preeminent long-distance threats amongst all power forwards in the league as well.
After shooting a career-low 42.2 percent in 2016-17, the 31-year-old veteran redeemed himself by posting an effective field-goal percentage of 57.0 percent this year (metric adjusts for the value of three-point shooting). It was the highest single-season mark by any player with at least 500 field-goal attempts in franchise history (previous: 56.3 percent by Hersey Hawkins in 1994-95).
Williams also posted a defensive rating of 105.5 points per 100 possessions this season, which was nearly a full point better than what he registered last year. His 2.4 net rating was the fourth best of his career and second highest of any Charlotte player with at least 65 games played (Walker - 3.5).
A regular presence in the starting lineup, Williams missed just four games this season because of a sprained ankle suffered in late January. His reputation as a tireless worker and team leader whose game is predicated on perimeter shooting and defensive organization was as prevalent as ever once again.
Heading into NBA season #14, Williams should continue to be an invaluable on-the-court and off-the-court asset for the Hornets for the imminent and foreseeable future.
Marvin Williams Through the Season
Check out scenes of Marvin Williams during the 2017-2018 Season.
By the Numbers
- Williams finished the season ranked fifth in three-point percentage (career-high 41.3 percent) and eighth in long-distance makes (126) amongst all NBA power forwards. This matched the best three-point conversion rate by any Charlotte player since the start of the 2009-10 season (Anthony Tolliver, 2013-14; mini. 82 3PM).
- He tied his single-game career high with five three-point goals on three separate occasions this season: Nov. 24 at Cleveland, Jan. 15 at Detroit and April 10 at Indiana.
- Williams currently sits in fourth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard for three-point field goals (497), needing just 12 more to move past Glen Rice into the top 3. He also ranks 10th in both defensive rebounds (1,429) and games started (272) and tied for 10th in blocks (204).
What’s Next?
Williams has two seasons remaining on the four-year deal he signed in July 2016. As of now, he is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency after the conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA campaign.
Exit Interview Quote
“Sometimes, you look at a team on paper, you have great expectations and you feel like that team will do well. Sometimes, it just doesn’t fit as fast or as well as you would like it to. I feel like for us, it didn’t fit as fast as we needed it to fit. I feel like that was our biggest problem early on.” – Marvin Williams