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
At the end of the day, Lou Williams did exactly what he was brought here to do: score.
Even though the Lakers finished near the bottom of the league in several statistical categories, Lou managed to scrap together consistent scoring performances the entire year, something no one else on the team can boast.
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Further, despite being primarily a spot up shooter during his award-winning year in Toronto, Williams showed the same play making ability that he exhibited earlier in his career as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. His shot selection wasn’t perfect, but his pull-ups early in the shot clock became a relatively reliable scoring option.
His attempts often came in isolation and in semi-transition, but he continued to produce despite, or perhaps as a result of, his penchant for operating outside of Scott’s offensive sets.
Unfortunately, his value still doesn’t translate to the defensive end, where he continues to be a glaring liability. The 11-year-veteran is undersized, especially as a two guard, and he’s never had particularly quick feet or a penchant for defensive effort.
In the past, his shortcomings as a defender have been tolerated, since he functioned mostly as a bench player and more than made up for it with his sharpshooting. However, there has been nowhere to hide in the Lakers’ league-worst defense and Williams consistently gets burned by opposing guards.
Next: Kupchak Prefers to Hire New Coach Before NBA Draft
Nonetheless, the fact that Kupchak snagged him until 2018 for just $21 million over three seasons really magnifies his value. If the Lakers choose to optimize his trade value before the end of next season, he’ll be an enticing offer for playoff contenders looking to upgrade their bench.