Mark Williams Shocks the World: Inside His Record-Breaking Triumph and What Comes Next

Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams is drawing fresh attention as head coach Jordan Ott confirms the club will keep the 7-footer on a carefully monitored minutes plan to preserve his health during the early stages of the 2025-26 NBA season. Williams’ workload strategy follows a promising first start in Phoenix colors, where the former Duke standout posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks against the Memphis Grizzlies, flashing the rim-running and shot-altering tools the Suns desperately need in the paint. Ott told reporters that Williams’ playing time will “inch upward week by week” once medical benchmarks are met, a plan designed to avoid the cascade of foot, back and knee issues that limited the 23-year-old to just 106 appearances over his first three professional campaigns. The cautious approach mirrors Phoenix’s broader emphasis on durability after last season’s playoff exit exposed a lack of reliable size behind their star trio. For fantasy basketball managers, the tempered minutes cap has immediate implications: Williams’ elite per-minute rebounding and block rates make him a high-upside stash, but owners may need patience before he approaches the 28-to-30-minute threshold typical of starting NBA centers. Off the floor, Williams has embraced a rigorous core-strengthening routine and has dropped eight pounds since arriving from Charlotte in July, hoping the lighter frame eases stress on his lower extremities. Team insiders point to the Suns’ revamped sports-science department—bolstered by new hire Dr. Candace Lowe—as a key factor in crafting the individualized ramp-up plan that should see the big man fully unleashed by mid-December. Should the gradual rollout succeed, Phoenix envisions Williams anchoring a switch-friendly defense alongside All-Star forwards Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, while providing the vertical spacing that unlocks the Suns’ half-court offense. With the Western Conference arms race intensifying, a healthy, rim-protecting Williams could prove the under-the-radar difference maker that elevates Phoenix from contender to favorite as the season unfolds.