The Charlotte Hornets view Mark Williams as a hopeful big key to their future success. Only playing in 19 games last season due to a lingering back issue, which former Hornets head coach Steve Clifford described as a bone issue.

Heading into the offseason, Williams’ back is receiving positive news for his long-term outlook.

A league source recently told Swarm & Sting there are no long-term concerns related to Williams moving forward, an excellent prognosis for him potentially hitting his tantalizing ceiling as a lob threat and rim protector.

In his shortened season, Williams put up impressive numbers averaging 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds while posting an extremely efficient 67.5 true shooting percentage. Williams really fits the archetype for Charlotte as a Rudy Gobert or Clint Capela type who can fit well alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in a low-usage role.

The Hornets internally feel Williams is ready to take a massive step forward in his development after missing the majority of his sophomore campaign. While there are still questions to figure out on the court, if he can truly become a franchise building block, but all the signs are there for him to thrive under the new leadership of current Boston Celtics lead assistant Charles Lee.

Charlotte has put a massive emphasis on player development with all of their new hires, and Williams could be one of the biggest on-court beneficiaries. How Charlotte sees it, they want to figure out how best to maximize talents like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Williams.

Looking ahead, the advanced metrics point to the trio of Ball, Miller and Williams being ready to take the leap forward together. In only 12 games they shared the floor together last season, Charlotte’s young core trio was outscoring their opponents by 5.4 points per 100 possessions. Not only were Ball and Miller producing on the offensive end, but Williams showcased his elite anchor upside as a rim protector who can cover up a lot of holes in the paint.

“Yeah, working out, lifting, doing everything,” Williams recently told Duke head coach Jon Scheyer on a visit back to campus. “I’m feeling good.”

If Williams is healthy, a big box for the Hornets is checked off with emphasis. Questions can now subside on whether Williams is viewed within a positive light under new management. Health permitting of course, the trio of Ball, Miller and Williams is ready to thrive within a player development-centric environment about to take shape in Charlotte.