Los Angeles Clippers: The late bloomer everyone should’ve seen coming

Lou Williams has been in the league for 13 seasons and has become a fairly recognizable name for his ability to score. Last year with the Los Angeles Clippers, he made a huge jump to near All-Star level status seemingly out of the blue. However, everyone should’ve seen this coming.

When thinking about second round draft steals, names like Manu Ginobili, Isaiah Thomas, Draymond Green and Dennis Rodman often come to mind. Up until recently, Lou Williams usually wasn’t included in that list.

With the 45th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Williams and a solid career has ensued since then as a high-level reserve. However, his game has never been on full display until he ended up on the Los Angeles Clippers. With the proper pieces and the complete reins to the offense, Williams has elevated his status to near All-Star level.

A career as an offensive spark plug

Coming in at just 6’1″ and 175 pounds, Williams was never going to be expected to dominate the defensive end of the floor. While he was projected to be a high-level scorer, there were still question marks about his success at the next level.

However, aside from guys like jamal Crawford, Manu Ginobili and Eric Gordon, Williams has always been in the conversation for the best sixth man in the league because of his uncanny ability to score the basketball. Up until this season, the “professional scorer” had never played over 30 minutes per game and averaged 24.4 minutes per game for his 12 seasons prior to 2017-18. Out of 782 total games, he’d started in just 90 despite playing for five different teams.

Never seen as an All-Star caliber guard (likely due to defensive issues and height not meshing with position) Williams was often playing behind the likes of elite level guards (aside from the Lakers). He often found himself playing alongside names like Allen Iverson, Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry, never getting the chance to be a consistent starter.

He was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets to play behind James Harden and an already established sixth man, Eric Gordon, and would never get a chance to start once again. Despite never getting the reins to the offense to be able to put his full skill-set on display, Williams proved time and time again he was an extremely capable scorer. When given at least 25 minutes per contest in his five seasons, Williams averaged 14.7 points and 3.2 assists on 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Although his biggest critiques were his inefficiency at times, and the fact that he was a defensive liability, Lou Williams certainly proved to everyone that he was a capable scorer. When given the proper minutes and the keys to the offense of a team for the first time, it should’ve been a given that he’d perform this well.

The keys to the offense and some pieces: The ignition

It’s no secret that Lou Williams had a phenomenal first season as a Clipper. While he technically only started 19 games this year and won the Sixth Man of the Year award, Williams was given starter’s minutes and always played when it mattered most.

As the leading guard on a team for the first time in his career, he averaged an eye-catching 22.6 points, 5.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The 2017-18 Clippers finished with a winning record of 42-40 despite some roster changes, so it’s not like Williams was the only capable scorer on a terrible team. He played alongside Blake Griffin for the first half of the season and Tobias Harris for the latter end. Griffin averaged 22.6 points a night while Harris averaged 19.6.  When given the keys to the offense and the right pieces, Williams proved he could be a lethal, winning guard. Most people should’ve seen it coming.

He’s always been the type of guy that needs minimal space to get a shot off. Combined with his tight handle and soft touch, Williams was able to dominate teams on the offensive end of the floor while still getting his teammates involved. This was evident to many for 12 seasons prior, but the right opportunity never presented itself.  Finally, at the peak of his career with the perfect team for his needs, Lou Williams did something that few have accomplished.

On Jan. 10 of this year, he erupted for 50 points against the Golden State Warriors and willed his team to an upset win despite a 40-point effort from Kevin Durant. Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson did not play, but the achievement was still impressive. The game would serve as evidence of the things Williams could accomplish when given the chance to put his full skill-set on display. Williams also had three other 40+ point games this season.

What does the future hold?

As a 31-year-old guard who has finally reached the top of his game, there isn’t too much left in the tank for the veteran. For the next 2-3 years, he could continue his high-level success, but age will eventually catch up and the recently acquired rookies will need space and free rein to improve.

A potential Kawhi Leonard addition could also be in the works, so that’s something to consider. Whether he continues his All-Star caliber success or not, Lou Williams has proven to everyone what he’s been capable of doing for years. While most people may not have caught on until now, there is still time to appreciate what he’s got left.