Earl Watson: Absence of Alan Williams felt daily by the Suns

Phoenix Suns center Alan Williams might not pad the stat sheet on a given night, but head coach Earl Watson said the team has missed his impact on every aspect of the team’s day-to-day activities.

“We really miss him,” Watson said. “We miss him in practice, we miss him in games, we miss him in huddles.”

The 24-year-old Williams tore his meniscus in late September and could miss at least half of the 2017-18 season. Despite spending most of the first half on the bench, Williams played almost nine more minutes last season compared to his rookie campaign in 2015-16. In 47 games, Williams averaged 7.4 points and 6.2 points per game.

Even when he was not on the court, Williams fired up his teammates and evolved into one of the team’s leaders. As a result of the value Williams provided on and off the court, the Suns re-signed him to three-year, $17 million deal in the offseason.

“He brings more to our family besides just a basketball presence,” Watson said. “Just his voice, his energy, and his love and he is always engaged vocally. Playing on any team you need that guy who is vocal, who is engaged and really truly lives by that definition of it.”

Williams’ impact on the court could hurt the production of the Suns’ bench. Williams recorded a team-high 15 double doubles, which ranked third among NBA bench players.

Without Williams, Alex Len probably will be the backup center behind veteran starter Tyson Chandler, but Len cannot replace all the value that Williams brings.

Watson said Williams approaches every practice as an opportunity to “do something amazing.”

“It is who he is,” Watson said. “He brings that natural energy that just uplifts everyone and you can’t replace that. It’s hard to find it. You can’t find it in interviews. You actually have to take a chance and get the guy in practice or on the court to actually see it.”