Next up in our 202 season preview series is veteran guard Lou Williams, whose role will probably be somewhat diminished this season but remains a crucial part of the Clippers’ plans.

Key Information

Height: 6’1

Weight: 175 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard

Age: 34

Years in NBA: 15

Key Stats: 18.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 28.7 minutes per game across 65 games played on 41.8/35.2/86.1 shooting splits.

Playoff Stats: 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 0.8 steals in 26.2 minutes per game across 13 games played on 42.5/23.5/81.1 shooting splits.

Contract Status: In final year of a 3 year, $24M extension, unrestricted free agent at end of 2021 season.

Expectations

Lou Williams will probably play somewhere between 25 to 28 minutes per game this season, much as he has the last two years. While the addition of Luke Kennard makes Lou’s skills somewhat superfluous, Lou’s passing, scoring, and overall leadership will make him an essential element to the Clippers’ attack as long as he is on the roster.

Lou’s playoff struggles mean that the Clippers probably don’t want to rely on him as heavily as they have in recent years, but then again, that’s what Kennard is for. In the regular season, Lou will come off the bench for either Pat Beverley or Paul George, and probably do most of the ball-handling while in the game.

However, because of the addition of Kennard, there’s a good chance Lou is traded. The Clippers lacked a balanced roster last year, and while Lou brings a lot of value, both he and Kennard are negative defenders, making them tough to play together in the playoffs. Lou has an easily movable deal, is in the last year of his contract, and would be a perfect addition to another contender who needs his shooting, scoring, and playmaking more than the Clippers might.

If he does stick around, depending on how good (and healthy) Kennard looks, Lou’s role might get diminished in the playoffs. But he’s simply too strong an offensive player (and positive presence) to be benched, and will presumably get at least a handful of minutes per game in the postseason even if Kennard has usurper his first guard off the bench role.

Strengths

Lou Williams is one of the best sixth men of all time in large part because of his scoring acumen. Few NBA players have as many tricks in their bag as Lou – he can hit deep threes off the dribble, play off-ball, get to the free throw line, and force his way downhill even against a set defense. Lou has a wide assortment of flip shots, floaters, and sideways-jumping midrange jumpers that enable him to get off shots in a myriad of ways, especially within 15 feet of the basket. Despite his age, his ballhandling ability and acumen at catching defenders off balance mean he can still knife his way into the lane to finish and draw fouls. While his height is a disadvantage, and he’s not as quick as he used to be, Lou remains a tough cover for almost any defender in the NBA.

Despite his scoring proficiencies, Lou’s true value (and what differentiates him from the likes of Jamal Crawford or many other scoring bench guards) is his passing and playmaking. Lou’s highest assist per game numbers of his entire career (by far) have been in a Clippers jersey, and he’s been the best overall playmaker on the team throughout his tenure. Now, that very fact has been one of the weaknesses of this Clippers team – Lou should not be a contender’s top passer – but he’s a highly underrated creator for others. His pick and roll with Montrezl Harrell was devastating, yet even without his partner, Lou should be able to create magic in the pick and pop with Serge Ibaka off the bench.

Even though his scoring efficiency plummeted in the 2020 playoffs, the Clippers were much better with Lou on the court when off, and that speaks to both his playmaking and the threat of his presence. Even when he’s not shooting the ball well, defenses respect him both on and offball, which creates room for others on offense. And, while his defense was bad, he should look somewhat better without Montrezl Harrell performing as a virtual sieve on the backline.

Finally, Lou is a leader. From the accounts that we’ve heard from the 2020 season, he was the closest thing to a leading light for a locker room that desperately needed such a voice. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are not natural leaders, and Pat Beverley is more of a hype man than someone who can get a team on track. Lou is someone who everyone on the team respects and will listen to, and that’s invaluable.

Weaknesses

Lou Williams is a bad NBA defender. In the regular season, that’s usually not too much of an issue. Sure, it hurts the team on a night to night basis, but it’s not something that is specifically targeted much. However, the playoffs are a different story. When teams can gameplan for an entire series, glaring weaknesses are picked upon, and Lou’s defense is usually one of those. The effort is usually there, but Lou is simply too small and weak for most wings, and does not possess the lateral speed to stay in front of faster guards. He can be hidden off-ball sometimes, but even there inattentiveness can come into play as a negative. There are worse NBA perimeter defenders, but not too many.

The other negative with Lou is streakiness. While his ability to get to the line and playmaking covers for a lot of ills, he’s not a great jumpshooter, and will go through longer and more dire shooting slumps than other top-tier scorers. As he’s aged, his ability to finish around the rim has diminished, which has only exacerbated the streaky shooting. While Lou doesn’t get quite as shot happy as Jamal or guys like Dion Waiters, he usually tries to shoot his way out of slumps, and that can result in some ugly performances.

Summary

Lou Williams remains a very good, if flawed player. His scoring, passing, and leadership make him a valuable member to the Clippers, and the only guy who might possibly replicate his skills is Luke Kennard. Therefore, while his playoff struggles are a real downside, if the Clippers move him, they’d better be sure to get someone who brings at least some of what Lou offers. Lou’s a fan favorite who says that he wants to retire as a Clipper, and hopefully he is able to do so – after helping win the Clippers a ring.

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