Trade chip or asset? Lou Williams' All-Star caliber play catches Clippers at crossroads
Lou Williams knows he’s an anomaly.
The 31-year-old guard who has made this post-Chris Paul season so much fun for the Los Angeles Clippers (23-22) and whose All-Star level play has them in playoff position despite a slew of injuries, knows why people can’t process what he’s doing.
Players his age aren’t supposed to be getting better – at least players who aren’t named LeBron James. Yet here is Williams, the former Sixth Man of the Year, who is scoring like never before, handling his heaviest workload yet and even playmaking along the way in his 13th season. Williams is averaging career-highs across the board: 23.4 points, 5 assists, 32.1 minutes.
“I’ve got low mileage, man,” Williams told Paste BN Sports during a recent visit on the NBA A to Z podcast. “Over my career, I’ve been coming off the bench. I’ve never played big minutes before, even though the minutes that I have played have been impactful for a number of different teams. I’ve always played low minutes, and so I feel like I’m…probably in my prime now where other guys will be in their prime at 28, 29.”
Our picks: Paste BN Sports selects the NBA All-Star reserves
Cavs' soap opera: Cleveland's never-ending drama continues
Week 14 NBA power rankings: Rockets, Thunder rise; Bucks, Cavs fall
Williams’ odometer might be low, but he won’t be an economy car anymore when this summer rolls around. The soon-to-be free agent is known to have interest in a possible extension with the Clippers, but there’s no current progress on that front. And therein lies the interesting debate as the Feb. 8 trade deadline nears.
Williams and fellow Clipper and free-agent-to-be DeAndre Jordan are known to be available for the right price. The Clippers are hungry for young, promising players and high-value draft picks, and both Williams and Jordan are the potential means to that end. It’s no surprise that the Cleveland Cavaliers are known to be interested in both Jordan and Williams – the former could help their 29th-ranked defense and the latter recently scored a career-high 50 points against their rival Golden State. What’s more, Williams would be an upgrade over 36-year-old Dwyane Wade and embattled point guard Derrick Rose when it comes to bench options.
But Williams’ massive role in the Clippers' success has created a fascinating dynamic for the team’s front office as it pivots from Paul’s departure last summer. On one hand, Williams’ production raises his value in the market and would presumably increase the likelihood of the Clippers wanting to move him.
On the other – and this part is somewhat analogous to Russell Westbrook’s role in Oklahoma City last season after Kevin Durant’s exit – his play and his leadership have endeared him to the Clippers folks who know how depressing this season could have been in the wake of Paul's exit. "Sweet Lou" has helped sustain them despite Blake Griffin missing nearly a month because of a knee injury and playmakers Milos Teodosic (27 games missed) and Austin Rivers (13 and counting) missing significant time.
Williams is compartmentalizing it all – the part that’s enjoying the game so much with this group and the other part that knows it could all change tomorrow. Naturally, being traded twice in the past 11 months has led to a few callouses.
“A scar’s a scab,” as he put it. “I understand the business of basketball. I understand that a couple of years ago, I signed a good deal at that time, and then you know over time that deal was probably underpriced (he’s making $7 million this season). It’s a good business deal for other teams that need a punch and it’s not going to cost them a lot of money.
“But at the same time, with all the movement, and how this season has been going with this team with so many injuries, so many guys in and out of the lineup (they've used 21 different starting lineups), every night has become a challenge to us. Every night we bond more and more because we feel like the underdogs.”
“I would like to be here, man,” he continued. “I’m putting everything on the line out here for this organization, and you know the season I’m having I would like to be rewarded for it and just appreciated.
“I’ve played on three teams in six months (Lakers, Rockets), and I’ve been impactful on all three of those teams. A lot of that stuff is out of my control, especially with how I’m playing. I’m doing everything I can in my power. Hopefully it’s just appreciated.”
Follow Paste BN Sports' Sam Amick on Twitter.