NBA Sixth Man Ladder: Familiar faces lead 1st look at top bench honor

Montrezl Harrell Lou Williams LA Clippers (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Montrezl Harrell Lou Williams LA Clippers (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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NBA Lou Williams LA Clippers
Lou Williams LA Clippers. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

77. . . Previous: . lou williams. 2. player

One of two players in NBA history to be named Sixth Man of the Year three times, Lou Williams isn’t slowing down at age 33. Now in his 15th NBA season, Lou-Will is averaging 21.7 points, a career-high 6.2 assists and a career-best 3.5 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game so far this season.

He’s shooting 42.4 percent overall, 36.6 percent on 5.1 3-point attempts per game and 84.4 percent on a career-high 7.1 free throw attempts nightly.

Williams has helped keep the LA Clippers afloat while Paul George was recovering from shoulder(s) surgery and through Kawhi Leonard‘s load management games. He’s made three starts this season, but leads the NBA in bench scoring at 20.3 points per game in those 17 reserve appearances and is second among qualifiers for the award at 5.9 assists a night.

Sweet Lou has averaged at least 20.0 points per game each season he’s been with the Clippers since he was acquired as part of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Rockets in 2017 and he’s joined Jamal Crawford as both the only three-time winners of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year and the only players to win the award twice with the Clippers.

There have been three two-time winners — Kevin McHale of the Celtics in 1983-84 and 1984-85, Ricky Pierce of Milwaukee in 1986-87 and 1989-90 and Detlef Schrempf of the Pacers in 1990-91 and 1991-92.