Los Angeles Clippers: 2017-18 player grades for Lou Williams

Weaknesses

As effective as Williams was offensively for the Clippers, he was equally as detrimental on the defensive end.

With Williams on the floor, the Clippers allowed six more points per 100 possessions, almost mitigating whatever effect he has on offense. The team’s 112.6 defensive rating when Williams played would have ranked second-to-last in the NBA. His -2.9 defensive box plus/minus also paints a grim picture of his D.

This remains the primary reason why Williams has come off the bench for almost the entirety of his career. Coaches often have to hide him on defense, but with more teams electing to switch on pick-and-rolls, it becomes harder and harder to do that.

On the offensive end, Williams’ efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. While he finished with a healthy true shooting percentage (57.4), his field goal (43.5) and 3-point (35.9) percentages fell below league-average. Like a lot of high-volume shooters, Williams seems to value quantity over quality. This wasn’t a huge concern though.

His defense, on the other hand, is. Williams’ negative value on that end hindered his overall effect on the team, as the Clippers’ net rating only increased from -1.3 to +1.0 with him on the floor. He doesn’t have to turn into Klay Thompson to take that next step toward stardom, he just has to avoid being a liability. At age 31, however, that probably won’t happen. He is what he is.