Player Review: Lou Williams Stays Consistent — and Committed to LA Clippers

Lou Williams is aging like a fine wine.

In his 15th season in the NBA and third with the LA Clippers, the 33-year-old prep-to-pro point guard reached new heights and set a few records — both personal and league-wide.

Despite a few shortcomings, his 2019-2020 campaign was one of his most impressive so far. But before we get into all that, let's first take a look at how Williams arrived in Los Angeles.

Beginnings

Williams, like Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, was sent to the team in the Chris Paul trade back in 2017. Together, that trio has helped redefine what it means to be a Clipper, and Williams has played a large role in that.

Initially, Williams wasn't immediately welcome in LA. He and Doc Rivers didn't see eye-to-eye around the time training camp was starting, which left him thinking about retirement. But a conversation between the two inspired Williams to give the situation a chance, and his career hasn't been the same ever since.

The scrawny guard burst onto the scene in 2017-2018, averaging a career-high 22.6 points in 32.8 minutes per game off the bench and hanging 50 on the Golden State Warriors in a 19-point road victory. Other highlights include a 40-point, 10-assist performance against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 31-point, 10-steal showing in Utah.

Unsurprisingly, Williams was named Sixth Man of the Year that season, winning 97.0% of the first-place votes. Former Clipper Eric Gordon finished a distant second.

LA got more of the same from Williams in 2018-2019, as he was nabbed Sixth Man honors for a second consecutive season with 96.0% of the vote. It was his most efficient season to date, averaging 20.0 points in just 26.6 minutes per game.

Now that we've covered those bases, let's get into what this season looked like for Sweet Lou.

Performance

Expectedly, Williams regressed in a few areas in 2019-2020. With the addition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Clippers' roster, that was inevitable.

That said, Williams still had a successful season for the title-contending Clippers, contributing elite scoring and excellent playmaking en route to a potential third-straight Sixth Man of the Year win.

Let's look at the numbers first. Williams averaged 18.7 points, a career-best 5.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game. His shooting percentages were solid — his 41.6% conversion rate from the field is down roughly a point from last season, and his 36.3% clip from three-point range is his highest yet with LA.

The eye test also tells us that Williams was effective this season. Defensive lapses aside, Williams made winning plays and was always able to pour in a few buckets when the team needed him most.

In all honesty, he's one of the best players that could have been paired with the likes of George and Leonard based solely on his availability.

The Clippers work best with their two stars running the offense together, but that didn't happen too often this season. Between Leonard's load management and George's shoulder recovery and hamstring issues, the two only appeared in a little over 30 games together.

That's where Williams comes in. His experience as a primary scoring option in each of the last two seasons has allowed him to step into either Leonard or George's spot and supply just as many points on any given night. That hasn't just been as a starter, but it is worth noting that Williams averaged 24.1 points and 6.4 assists in starts this season.

In short, he's played well within his role, and he's handled the unpredictability of this team like a true professional. It's obvious he's more focused on winning than stat-padding at this stage of his career, which is exactly what the Clippers will need from him for the foreseeable future.

Grade: B+

Outlook

Williams has become synonymous with the LA Clippers. The fan base has embraced him as much or more than any other player on the roster since he arrived in 2017, and it's hard to imagine that changing any time soon.

He's set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2020-2021 season, but according to a recent interview with Ros Gold-Onwude, Williams plans on finishing his career with the Clippers — and he envisions that being at least another four years.

"This is it," he said. "Listen, all teams out there, I'm not playing for anybody else after this... That's my leverage. I identify with this group of guys. I identify with this organization. I don't see me finding that anywhere else."

As long as the Clippers will have him, Williams should continue to feast off the bench in a role that was tailor-made for h