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Los Angeles Lakers: Lou Williams Quietly Thriving As Starter

By Carter Johnson

Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) and guard Louis Williams (23) talk in the first half of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) and guard Louis Williams (23) talk in the first half of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lou Williams may not be a part of the Lakers’ plans for the future, but his excellent play as a starter has definitely made him essential to their success in the present.

A lot of different storylines have dominated the headlines for the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

Kobe Bryant is dazzling us all in his last run before retirement. Fans are closely watching the slow but steady developments of rookies and future cornerstones D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.

Fans and critics alike are calling for the firing of head coach Byron Scott in the offseason, if not sooner, and Jordan Clarkson is an established talent going under the radar in the midst of this frenzy.

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However, there is one storyline that is not being discussed in Lakerland: the consistent production of one Lou Williams.

Oct 30, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Louis Williams (23) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

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Williams has quite the reputation as a solid sixth man on the court (he is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year) coupled with quite the legend off the court (co-signs from rappers Meek Mill and Drake from his stints in Philadelphia and Toronto, a song by Drake in his honor titled “6 Man” and the rumors of his two girlfriends).

With Russell and Bryant struggling out of the gate, Clarkson suffering from injuries and Randle still finding his rhythm, Williams has been the most reliable offensive weapon for the Lakers through the first quarter of the season.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year effectively unseated previous Lakers sixth man Nick Young as their go-to guy off the bench, ranking third on the team and seventh among bench players in scoring with 12.9 points per game through 18 games in that role.

Despite such high rankings, this scoring average is the third-lowest of his career since gaining significant minutes in the 2007-08 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. His field goal percentage (.371) during that stretch was on pace to be the lowest of his career.

That was, until Scott made the decision to make Williams a starter for the first time since his last season with the Atlanta Hawks in early 2014.

Just as Russell has been lauded and praised for upping his level of play since being relegated to the sixth man role, so too should Lou Williams for raising his play as the team’s starting guard.

While a lot of hype and credit has rightfully gone to Russell for embracing Williams’ former sixth man role and thriving off of the bench, few have noticed the improvement in Williams’ production since joining the starting rotation.

He’s averaging 16.3 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field (good for sixth among starting two guards during that span) and 38 percent shooting from three in six starts, a drastic step up from his numbers coming off of the bench this season.

Williams’ recent upswing in production looks even more impressive due to some terrific all-around performances he’s put on. The most notable of these performances occurred within a week’s time.

Williams started on Dec. 2 with an otherworldly defensive performance in which he came up with a ridiculous seven steals in addition to 12 points and four assists in a win over the Washington Wizards. The following Monday, in a game against his former team in the Toronto Raptors, he shot a superb 60 percent from three and scored 15 points.

Finally, under the shadow of Russell’s coming out party in a one-point overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Williams capped the week off with an outstandingly efficient stat line, racking up 19 points on 63 percent shooting and 50 percent shooting from three-point range along with seven boards and five assists.

All this while going on a five-game stretch during which he shot 50 percent or better from three-point range.

Just as Russell has been lauded and praised for upping his level of play since being relegated to the sixth man role, so too should Lou Williams for raising his play as the team’s starting guard.

Sure, his consistency as a scorer causes him to often be taken for granted by fans, but this jump in scoring, efficiency and all around play is nothing to scoff at and is just as notable as Russell’s increased stats.

His improved play, along with that of Russell’s and Bryant’s, has helped to make the Lakers more competitive as of late (and unintentionally make Byron Scott look like a genius in the process).

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Despite the team’s continued losing, the trio is making the Lakers more troublesome for opponents than they were at the season’s start and, if they continue to thrive in their respective roles, the team could start putting more wins together sooner rather than later.

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