LA Clippers: The Lou Williams situation could soon get costly

Lou Williams of the LA Clippers finds himself in a difficult situation after leaving the NBA’s bubble earlier this week that could prove troublesome.

Leaving the NBA’s bubble environment has been nothing new for the LA Clippers, as Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley, and Lou Williams have all departed within the past week. While all exited due to urgent personal matters, Williams is currently under investigation after images surfaced online that proved controversial.

Rapper Jack Harlow posted a picture of he and Williams online at the Magic City Strip Club Thursday, which got taken off almost immediately. Still, unfortunately for Williams, once something goes up online, it is there forever. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the NBA is currently looking into the incident.

"Reporting with @BobbyMarks42: The NBA is investigating what Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams did while on an excused absence from the Orlando campus, so it can assess the length of his re-quarantining process, multiple sources told ESPN on Saturday.Williams was photographed at an Atlanta gentleman’s club on Thursday night by the rapper Jack Harlow, who quickly deleted the post from his Instagram story. Harlow tweeted on Friday, “That was an old pic of me and Lou. I was just reminiscing cuz I miss him.”“Sources told ESPN that Williams has been interviewed by NBA security about his whereabout while he was away from campus, and told them he did go to the Magic City gentleman’s club for a short time Thursday night”"

Harlow and Williams appeared to be on opposite sides of the spectrum, but with Lou wearing the NBA’s complimentary bubble mask in the picture, it was clear that it happened fairly recently.

Before the incident at Magic City blew up, Williams did take to social media to address the passing of his grandfather, the reason he left the bubble in the first place. Had that been it, the guard likely would have had to go through a minimum four-day quarantine before rejoining the Clippers, but this incident leaves his near future up in the air.

This situation has suspension written all of it, but for how long? It’s not every day that the NBA comes face to face with such a unique predicament. With the league doing everything possible to try and finish out the season during a pandemic, they are likely not going to let Williams off easy after his actions.

If the three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner receives a hefty suspension and/or extended quarantine, it could alter the Clippers’ championship course. Williams was the team’s third leader scoring this season behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, coming in at 18.7 points per game.

Although the Clippers are deep, they cannot just replace Lou Williams with a snap of their fingers. The 33-year-old is a certified scorer and his presence can change the game entirely as soon as he checks in. Without their sixth man, this team could be in trouble, no matter for how long.

Not to say that their championship aspirations would completely be out the window, but depending on what happens regarding Williams’ punishment, it could undoubtedly be damaging.

Even though it was merely a scrimmage, Williams showed the impact he could have in the team’s first scrimmage this past Wednesday. With several key players not in uniform and a struggling Kawhi Leonard, Williams led the way with 22 points in a 99-90 victory over the Orlando Magic. The guard can pick up the slack offensively when needed, and without him, the Clippers could suffer from the loss of him on that end.

Williams’ absence in any of the eight upcoming seeding games could be a significant blow given the current holes in their roster. Although a long shot, the Clippers still have a chance to overtake the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, currently 5.5 games back. Without Williams, it would be that much more challenging.

With a suspension likely coming, hopefully, Williams and the Clippers can put this incident behind them before the postseason starts.