Williams (back) has suffered a tendon strain in his left foot and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Williams played only 19 games during the 2022-2023 season due to a back injury. He was seemingly on track for a healthy training camp before this new injury. The big man projects to start at center for Charlotte when healthy, but it now looks like he will miss most of training camp. Look for the Hornets to err on the side of caution with the big man to avoid another season of lingering injuries. Nick Richards would be primed for a large workload if Williams isn't ready to begin the campaign.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Likely ready for training camp
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Coach Steve Clifford said Monday that he expects Williams (back) to be ready for the start of training camp, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Williams had a disastrous 2023-24 campaign, as his back injury limited him to only 19 appearances. He's expected to have a clean bill of health entering the 2024-25 season, however, and could be poised to bounce back. He finished the regular season with averages of 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks, so the upside is there.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Unlikely to play again in 2023-24
Rotowire
The Hornets haven't officially shut Williams (back) down for the season, but the second-year center isn't expected to play again during the 2023-24 campaign, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Updates on Williams' status have been few and far between since he made his last appearance Dec. 8 before being shut down with what the Hornets initially listed as a lower back contusion. The Hornets' latest injury report has referred to his ongoing absence being the result of "low back injury recovery," and the team hasn't provided any concrete information regarding what kind of activity Williams is doing as part of his rehab program. Though the Hornets haven't officially made an announcement on shutting Williams down for the season like they have with LaMelo Ball (ankle), Cody Martin (ankle) and Seth Curry (ankle) within the past two days, fantasy managers in redraft leagues who have been holding Williams amid his prolonged absence can feel comfortable cutting bait at this point. Nick Richards has since taken over as the Hornets' starting center, with Grant Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski serving as Richards' primary backup options.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Will remain sidelined Wednesday
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Williams (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers.
Williams continues to deal with a back issue and doesn't have a timetable to return. His next chance to suit up will be Friday against Golden State.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Listed out for Monday
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Williams (back) won't play Monday against the Cavaliers.
Williams continues to miss time due to a back injury and remains without a timetable for a return. His next chance to take the court will arrive Wednesday against Cleveland.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Won't play against Atlanta
Rotowire
Williams is out to face the Hawks on Saturday due to a back injury.
Williams has been bothered by a back injury for the majority of the season, as he hasn't played since Dec. 8. Even though general manager Mitch Kupchak suggested in February that Williams would be re-evaluated soon, it sounds like his status will be week-to-week going forward, which makes sense considering the Hornets have no incentives to rush him in the midst of another non-contending campaign.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Could be done for season
Rotowire
Williams (back) may not be cleared to play again this season, as head coach Steve Clifford intimated in his press conference following Tuesday's 101-89 loss to the Magic, Bally Sports Southeast reports. "We're tiny by NBA standards...We're going to be smaller here for the rest of the year," Clifford said.
Clifford didn't specifically touch on Williams' status, but his comment about the Hornets going with smaller lineups for the remainder of the season at the very least suggests that the team isn't bracing for the second-year center's return anytime soon. The Hornets did get some added size back Tuesday with Nick Richards (foot) returning from a one-game absence, and while Richards should start when available, Charlotte will likely lean on the 6-foot-6 Grant Williams as his primary backup, given the lack of reliable alternatives at center on the roster. General manager Mitch Kupchak suggested in February that Mark Williams is on track to be re-evaluated later this week, but fantasy managers who have been holding the young center shouldn't be holding their breath in anticipation of him making a speedy return, if he even plays at all again this season. The Hornets are sitting at 15-47 on the season after Tuesday's loss and have little incentive to rush Williams back from the low-back injury in the midst of another non-contending campaign. Williams has been out of action since Dec. 8.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Out another four weeks
Rotowire
General manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday that Williams (back) will be re-evaluated in four weeks but is still expected to return this season, Schuyler Callihan of SI.com reports.
Williams hasn't played since Dec. 8 due to a lower-back injury and is taking longer than expected to fully heal, prompting the Hornets to shut him down from activity for another month. Since the Hornets aren't in playoff contention and Williams will still require some ramp-up time even if he's cleared to resume on-court work after the four-week re-evaluation, a return in the latter half of March looks to be a best-case scenario. Fantasy managers in most redraft leagues shouldn't bother holding Williams in light of his prolonged absence, while Nick Richards should have some stability as the team's starting center sans Williams.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Williams (back) won't play in Friday's game versus the Bucks.
Williams' absence streak will extend to 31 games Friday due to a back injury. There is no timetable for his return.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Out again Wednesday
Rotowire
Williams (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Raptors.
Williams remains out indefinitely due to a back contusion. He hasn't played since Dec. 8, and Nick Richards should continue to draw starts until Williams is cleared to play again.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Remains out
Rotowire
Williams (back) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Lakers.
Williams hasn't played since Dec. 8 and remains out indefinitely due to a back contusion. Nick Richards should continue to benefit from Williams' absence.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Williams (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.
Williams hasn't played since Dec. 8 due to a back contusion. He doesn't have a timetable to return, but his next chance to suit up will come Monday versus the Lakers, though he can be considered doubtful for that contest. Nick Richards should continue filling in as the starting center in Williams' absence.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Not close to returning
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Coach Steve Clifford said Friday that Williams (back) isn't close to returning, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The Hornets haven't provided much clarity on Williams' ongoing absence, but it was obvious the big man suffered a setback or two, as he's missed 18 straight games. Barring a return to practice, Williams can be considered week-to-week moving forward. Nick Richards (ankle) should continue to play an elevated role in Williams' absence.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Out at least another week
Rotowire
Williams (back), who has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Bulls, will be unavailable for at least another week.
Williams has missed a month due to a lower-back contusion, and he's being evaluated on a week-to-week basis for now. The Hornets haven't provided many updates regarding his status during his recovery process, but he'll be unavailable for at least four more games as he continues to work toward a return. Nick Richards should continue to handle increased run in Williams' absence.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Without clear return timeline
Rotowire
Williams, who remains out for Monday's game against the Bulls, is without a clear timeline for a return while he continues to recover from a lower-back contusion, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Williams hasn't played since Dec. 8 due to the injury and will miss his 14th consecutive game Monday. The Hornets initially listed Williams as doubtful ahead of each of his first 12 absences, but he's since taken "out" tags into two straight contests. The change in designation seemingly supports the notion that Williams is without a clear timeline for a return, with Boone noting that the second-year center has been able to take part in pregame work but isn't yet participating in practices. Fantasy managers shouldn't count on Williams playing in any of the Hornets' four games this week.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Out Friday
Rotowire
Williams (back) won't play in Friday's game versus the Bulls.
Williams' last appearance was Dec. 8, and the back injury has been bothering him for most of the season. Expect Nick Richards to remain in the starting lineup while Williams is out. The former Duke star will hope to return to action against Chicago on Monday, but that seems unlikely at the moment.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Officially ruled out
Rotowire
Williams (back) won't play in Tuesday's game versus the Kings.
Williams' absence streak will extend to 13 games due to a back injury. His next chance to suit up is Friday's matchup with Chicago.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Listed doubtful again
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Williams (back) is doubtful for Monday's game against Denver.
Williams will likely miss his 11th game in a row, and he remains without a timetable. The Hornets haven't provided an update on his progress, and they continue to slap doubtful tags on the center. Nick Richards should continue to benefit from Williams' absence.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Likely out Friday
Rotowire
Williams (back) is listed as doubtful for Friday's game versus the Suns.
Williams is expected to miss his 10th straight game Friday due to a lower back contusion. Nick Richards will likely receive another start if Williams is ultimately ruled out.
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Hornets' Mark Williams: Will sit out Thursday
Rotowire
Williams (ankle) will not play Thursday versus the Lakers.
Williams will miss his ninth straight game Thursday. The Hornets have been labeling him as doubtful for the past few weeks, and there is no clear timetable for his return. He should be considered doubtful at best for Friday's game against the Suns.
