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

Final grade

Because of his faulty defense, Williams will always be a heat check guy that provides instant offense off the bench. There’s nothing wrong with that role. It nabbed him his cushy contract extension. It got him two Sixth Man awards, including this year’s. There are worse things to be than a sixth man.

However, if you think that Williams can become something better than that, then you may be asking too much. Leopards his age don’t change their spots. Williams isn’t going to morph into some sort of all-world defender all of a sudden. He is what he is at this point.

If the Clippers can find another franchise player or two over the next several seasons — as unlikely as that may be — Williams can effectively fill the Jamal Crawford role and feast on second units. He has the handles to make the best defenders look silly and he has shown a willingness to find the open man at the right time. He could win one or two more Sixth Man trophies with this team.

If coaches can find a way to work around his non-existent defense, Williams can provide tremendous value to their team on offense. Just don’t ask him to do anything more.

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Grade: B+