Lakers 2015-16 Season Roster Grades: Lou Williams

Grading Lou Williams’ 2015-16 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers

With Lou Williams, you see what you get—and the Los Angeles Lakers certainly got a great bargain last summer. After striking out on nearly every noteworthy free agent, the Purple and Gold saved face by inking the smooth-shooting veteran for a tidy $7 million per year.

Amidst the stench of Kobe Bryant’s bloated $48 million contract and a bevy of expendable low-tier deals, Williams’ contract has proven to be a diamond in the rough for Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers. The team finished with the league’s second-worst offensive efficiency and the savvy guard routinely had to shoulder the scoring load.

Entering the season, many expected Williams to continue his role as sixth-man, relieving the promising backcourt duo of Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell. From the outset, the 29-year-old separated himself from the pack,  becoming the Lakers’ go to scorer and head coach Byron Scott’s go-to scorer after Kobe Bryant.

But as Russell struggled early, Williams soon found himself in the starting lineup, replacing the rookie after just 20 games. He shined with the starting unit, averaging 16.9 points and getting to the line over six times per game.

Unfortunately, this often coincided with nearly unwatchable stretches of basketball, as the Lakers relied on his affinity for drawing fouls and isolation basketball to scrap together points. That is hardly the fault of Williams though, who put on his fair share of scintillating offensive performances, including a career-high 44-point explosion on January 8.

He finished the season 11th in the league in free throw attempts per game and managed to do something that nearly no other Lakers player could do on a consistent basis: generate points.His season was far from perfect, but he ended the season as one of the Lakers’ better assets.

Here is his final season grade.

Next: The Final Grade