Los Angeles Clippers: Lou Williams is the bright spot in team’s recent skid

After starting the season 5-2, the Los Angeles Clippers are losers of five straight and have struggled mightily on the defensive end in each of these losses. However, one positive takeaway from the last few games is that shooting guard Lou Williams is cementing himself as the Clippers’ best option off the bench.

In the trade that sent the Los Angeles Clippers franchise in a whole new direction, Chris Paul was sent to Houston for a package that included former NBA Sixth Man award winner, Lou Williams. The 12-year veteran spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to Houston for Corey Brewer and a first round pick.

Prior to the trade to Houston, Williams was enjoying his best season of his career as a member of the Lakers. He was averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game in just 24.2 minutes played. His numbers tapered off slightly after joining an offense led by James Harden, as his scoring dropped to 14.9 points in 25.7 minutes per game.

The Clippers knew what they were getting when identifying Williams as a trade target in the Chris Paul deal. Since Williams came into the league in 2005 straight out of South Gwinnett High School in Atlanta, he has capitalized on his limited opportunities off the bench to be a lethal scoring force whenever he steps on the floor.

During the Clippers’ five-game losing streak, Williams is averaging 20.2 points per game off the bench and has shot 44 percent or more from the field in three of these five games. He is shooting a career-high 45.0 percent from the field on the season, which is another sign that the best years of Williams’ career are not behind him.

With injuries to point guards Milos Teodosic and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers have been in desperate need for a backcourt player to step up and help shoulder some of the scoring load with Blake Griffin. Williams has answered the call just as he has done for other teams he has played for, fulfilling the role of sixth man as well as any bench player in the league.

For all of the great things that Lou Williams brings to the Clippers on the offensive end, there are just as many equal and opposite mistakes made defensively. Williams possesses the quickness and long arms to be a lockdown defender in the league, but has never shown much desire to fill this role throughout his career.

Standing at just 6’1″, Williams has difficulty staying in front of today’s physical NBA point guards. If the Clippers want to snap their recent losing skid, they need players like Williams to stay in front of their matchups or drive them toward the one-man rim-protecting juggernaut, DeAndre Jordan.

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The scoring boost that Lou Williams has provided the Clippers was welcomed with open arms, but it is not anything unexpected from the veteran when they traded for him this summer. He has excelled during this recent losing streak, and the Clippers will need him to keep it up if they want to get back to their winning ways.