The Phoenix Suns didnât leave Salt Lake City with a win, but Devin Booker made sure to highlight one teammate who did everything he could to change that outcome.
Following Phoenixâs 138-135 loss to the Utah Jazz, Booker singled out Mark Williams for his energy and impact â especially on the glass.
âYou know the motor I was talking about,â Booker told AZCentralâs Duane Rankin. âThe second chances, knocking down free throws â heâs all over the place. I donât know what his plus-minus is when heâs out there, but I bet we win the game with him out there.â
Mark Williams Provides a Bright Spot in Sunsâ Loss
Williams gave Phoenix much-needed interior toughness against Utah, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in just 31 minutes. He shot 9-of-14 from the field and hit 7-of-9 free throws, giving the Suns an important inside presence on a night when they were otherwise outscored 52-50 in the paint.
The 23-year-old center also grabbed five offensive boards, creating key second-chance opportunities that helped the Suns erase an early 20-point deficit. Bookerâs comment about Williamsâ âmotorâ was backed up by the numbers â Phoenix was +13 in his minutes, one of the few positive marks on the team.
Booker and Williams Building Chemistry
Booker, who finished with 34 points and 10 assists, has praised Williams repeatedly this month for his consistency and effort and perhaps shown his eagerness for the center to not have a minutes restriction. The Suns have struggled with defensive rebounding and rim protection during their early-season slump, and Williamsâ emergence has given them a potential long-term solution inside.
While the loss dropped Phoenix to 1-3, performances like Williamsâ offer hope that the Suns are finding complementary pieces around their star backcourt of Booker, Jalen Green and rising talent Collin Gillespie.Â
The Suns traded for Williams in the summer, moving on from Vasijile Micic and a first round pick. The move was part of a bigger rebuild the Suns jumpstarted after buying out Bradley Beal and trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
Williams had been a key target of the Los Angeles Lakers a season ago, and even traded there before the trade was rescinded after Williams failed a physical. The drama kept Williams in Charlotte for the rest of the season before the Suns swooped in this past summer.Â
Williams has shown heâs a double-double threat. In 2024-25 with the Hornets he averaged 15.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, adding in a block and a steal in about 27 minutes per game. That kind of production is elite, but the question around Williams has always been can he stay healthy? Williams has not appeared in more than 44 games in a season since entering the NBA in 2022-23. Phoenix will surely test him this season, and will probably be quick to enact another minutes restriction if he gets hit by the injury bug again.
Whatâs Next for Williams and the Suns
The Suns return home on October 29 to face the Memphis Grizzlies, where Williams is expected to draw the assignment against Jaren Jackson Jr. â another test of that relentless motor Booker loves.
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