National Basketball Association

Marvin Williams Was in Elite Company Last Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Marvin Williams had the best season of his career last year but a closer look at the numbers show that he was in elite company.

Marvin Williams and Stephen Curry are rarely ever mentioned in the same sentence but a closer look at some numbers show that they were in similar company last season. The Charlotte Hornets‘ player had a year to remember when he put up careers statistics in several categories. The surprisingly great season is even more outstanding when you put it under a microscope.

Only seven players were part of an exclusive club last season that featured guys who shot over 45% from the field, 40% from the three-point line, and 83% from the free throw. All of these players did so in over 25 minutes a game. The difference between the other six players and Marvin, is that Williams is the only one who is a power forward/big man.

The list of players includes Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, JJ Redick, Darren Collison, and Jose Calderon. Marvin is the only player who is a big man on the list which makes this feat that much more incredible. In fact, Williams was the only power forward to average 45% FG/ 40% 3P/ 80% FT in the 2015-16 season.

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Just to put it his great year into perspective, Marvin is only the sixth big man to average 45/40/80 while playing over 25 minutes per game since 1996-97. The others include Pau Gasol (2014-15), Dirk Nowitzki (2012-13, 2009-10, 2006-07, 2005-06), Kevin Love (2010-11), Amar’e Stoudemire (2008-09), and Rashard Lewis (2007-08, 2000-01). That’s some pretty elite company for Williams.

After a sub-par career that featured many forgetful seasons, the Hornets’ big man finally put his skills together to have a breakout year. The 6’9 power forward averaged 11.7 points per game, a career-high 6.4 rebounds per game, and a career-high 1.0 blocks per game. He was one of Charlotte’s best and most consistent players as he helped lead them to 48 wins and a playoff appearance.

Last year was the first season in which Marvin has ever shot above 40% from beyond the arc. He has always been a sub-40% three-point shooter that usually lingered around the 35% mark but that was not the case during the 2015 campaign. The 30-year old forward made massive changes to his game and worked tirelessly on his outside shot.

The exceptional season in a contract year led Williams to receive a four-year $54.5 million deal from the Hornets during the summer. Even after what some would call a bust of a career for 10 seasons in the NBA, the former number two overall pick in the 2005 draft found his niche in Charlotte. Under Steve Clifford, Marvin experienced a revitalization and his great season should not be forgotten because of how rare a year like that is in the NBA for a big man.

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Although Marvin didn’t average anywhere close to what Curry, Thompson, or Leonard did in terms of scoring or amount of shots, it was still an impressive run that puts his name up there with those superstars. As well as alongside the likes of Dirk, Pau, and Amar’e.

Not many expected Williams to have a good season, let alone a great one, but he had one to remember. Only the cream of the crop in terms of best and most efficient shooters in the league put up similar stat lines last season. And only a few of the best stretch 4’s in the past 20 years could say the same.

It wasn’t a fabled 50/40/90 season but it was arguably the best shooting season from a big man in 2015-16. The year was also one of the best from a power forward in the last two decades. A closer look at the numbers prove that Marvin Williams was in elite company after the year he had last season for the Charlotte Hornets.

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