Clippers Lou Williams on a tear - is he a fit for the Celtics?
Lou Williams scored 40% of the Clippers total points in their 125-106 win last night against the Golden State Warriors. He burned the nets for 50 points and did it with incredible accuracy. He was 16/27 from the field, 8/16 on threes and a perfect 10/10 from the line. He also added seven assists and two rebounds. There were rumors that he was also taking tickets at the gate prior to the game.
Lou is averaging a career-high 31.5 minutes per game this season, and he is making the most of it. He certainly took advantage last night. Warrior's Coach, Steve Kerr, had a premonition of what might take place, and he was right.
Steve Kerr joked before the game that Lou Williams was gonna go off for 50 on the Warriors.
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2018
Lou made Steve a man of his word. pic.twitter.com/oPn4Aehmco
At the age of 31, Williams is playing for his sixth team. He is first and foremost a shooter, and he is dangerous. He has no conscience about taking a shot from anywhere and at anytime. And he is accurate, hitting 45% from the floor and 41.2% from beyond the arc. His free throws hit at a terrific 90.7% clip. Fouling him at the end of close games may be a bad idea.
Lou Williams' salary fits into the DPE. He's averaging 22 PPG and the Clippers are going nowhere. I'd easily give up the Celts 1st rounder this year for him without thinking twice
— Michael Dyer (@Mike_Dyer13) January 11, 2018
Celtics boss, Danny Ainge, likes versatility in his players, and Lou has some of that. He can play both the point and shooting guard and is a solid playmaker. What he lacks are height and youth. He is 6'1" and 31 years old. I would doubt he would be in Boston's long-term plans, but a rental for the rest of this season and the playoffs is a possibility. If Williams proves to be a good fit with the team, signing for another year or two might happen.
Lou Williams had a big 3rd quarter for the @LAClippers, scoring 27 PTS!#ItTakesEverything pic.twitter.com/GW7Ra94Z4h
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2018
A look at Williams career stats reveal a slight drop in accuracy in the playoffs compared to the regular season. That may be significant and show that Lou may tend to force his shots in games that have more significance. That should not surprise any of us. We are looking at a prolific scorer that launches shots without a hint of hesitation. In the end, the Grizzlies' Tyreke Evans, because of his age (28), size (6'6") and versatility may be a better choice for the Celtics if he becomes available. Boston could make good use of either one if the price is right.
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Photo via Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
