Why Lou Williams Is The Raptors' Most Important Guard

When fans and analysts alike go to watch the Toronto Raptors play, their focus generally falls on the backcourt, particularly guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Both have proven themselves to be star scorers in this league that have the tendency to make timely shots and electrifying plays on both ends of the floor.

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With these two getting most of the attention, it’s hard to forget about the Raptors’ primary sixth man off the bench who also plays at the guard spot.

I’m talking about Lou Williams.

Williams spent the beginning of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, being a key scorer for the team over the years. Williams wasn’t the biggest or fastest player on the floor, but he has always possessed the quickness necessary to be a problem on the offensive end because he has just enough burst to get to where he wants to on the floor, be it in the lane or another one of his sweet spots. Williams is someone who just knows how to create for himself and for others, a crafty playmaker who is a real dangerous threat in any offensive attack.

Williams may not always shoot the ball at a high percentage (a career 41.6 percent shooter from the field), but he does know how to get timely buckets for his team. Williams does possess the skills necessary to be a jump shooter, but he also excels at getting into the lane and drawing fouls.

This season, Williams is attempting 5.1 free throws per game and is converting on 85.9 percent of those shots. Generally the league’s better scorers know how to get the easy points, be it in transition or at the free throw line. Williams does this exceptionally, so even though his shot may not always be on, he can still find ways to put points on the board and be effective for his team.

While Lowry and DeRozan are skilled players at their respective positions, they can both have their off nights, which is why Williams is so important to Toronto’s success. Williams is that spark plug off of the bench that can really turn things around offensively for the Raptors when one of its primary scorers can’t get things going.

He knows how to bring energy with him onto the floor and really push the Raptors into being more aggressive on offense. Attacking the basket and displaying that killer instinct that the best scorers have is what Williams does best, and the biggest reason why Toronto’s offensive attack has been one of the best in the NBA to this point.

Does Williams take away something on defense? Unfortunately he does because he doesn’t have the physical tools necessary to be considered a worthy defender. However, Williams has been known to be able to come up with some key steals during games, as he’s been averaging 1.2 steals per game this season.

Even though steals have never really been the mark of a great defender per se, Williams still gives it everything he’s got, and his effort should at least be noted because what he brings to the table offensively is reason enough for him to earn big minutes off the bench.

Williams isn’t the most gifted player in the league, but he knows how to be a positive to his team when he’s on the floor. Generating offense is always a plus, and that’s what Williams knows how to do best.

Even though he may not be the star that Lowry and DeRozan are, he’s still proven himself to be very valuable to what Toronto wants to do, which is score as many points as possible. Without Williams being an exceptional playmaker and energizer off the bench, the Raptors may not be where they are right now in the Eastern Conference.

Williams is more important to his team than the average fan may think. Don’t believe me? Watch some games for yourself and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

*Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

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Why Lou Williams Is The Toronto Raptors’ Most Important Guard

By Nathan Grubel | Feb 9, 2015

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