LOS ANGELES – The LA Clippers are one step closer to full strength as Lou Williams is scheduled to make his return from self isolation. The Clippers guard will be on a minutes restriction in his first action against the Phoenix Suns, says head coach Doc Rivers.
“Yeah, Lou’s on a minutes restriction. It’ll be guided by his lungs, most likely. We’ll just watch and see.”
Williams had been quarantining in his hotel room for the last 10 days after returning from Atlanta tending to a family matter.
On July 24th, Rivers mentioned that Lou Williams left the bubble with a team-approved reason. Not long after, photos surfaced of Williams inside Magic City gentleman's club, a place he's a regular at, and apparently not only for the wings. He met with NBA officials upon his return, and following an investigation, the league deemed a 10-day quarantine period necessary despite testing negative every single day he was away from the Orlando bubble.
Tuesday marks the first time the players and coaching staff saw Williams since his return, and because of the quick turnaround, the team had him go shoot around this morning as opposed to participating in their walkthrough.
“[We're] just seeing him today,” Rivers admitted pregame. “We had a shootaround/walkthrough today but we elected for him to go to the gym instead. He knows a lot of the stuff we’re doing, he’s been here for a while, so I would rather for him to go to the gym, which is what he did, instead sitting through our our walkthrough today.”
Just as he did with Patrick Beverley, Rivers is throwing guys back out onto the floor as soon as they're available. On the day that Beverley cleared his four-day quarantine, he came off the bench to play against the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, Lou Williams will play on the day that he's been cleared.
Guys like Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet, who contracted the coronavirus and didn't arrive to Orlando until late July, have been brought along a lot slower. The Clippers made sure both had a practice in before participating in game action, and even then, they were limited.
“Yeah, I’m always a throw a guy on the floor guy. The only guy we haven’t done that to is Sham because Sham was coming off of being sick so we weren’t gonna take a chance there. Zub was fortunate enough to come in and have one practice before we played where Pat and Lou are coming in healthy, and so it’s a little different.
“[Pat and Lou] are also veterans, they know how to play, they’ll tell you before you tell them how much they need.”
The Clippers ensured that the three-time Sixth Man of the Year had a stationary bike as well as a treadmill in his room to stay as in-shape as possible. The team also had him participate in every practice or walkthrough via Zoom, where he was able to listen, watch, and ask questions with regards to plays or schemes the Clippers were putting into place.
“[He] Probably watched a lot of TV,” Rivers joked when asked what Lou could do in his room.
“We did have a treadmill and a bike in his room so he was able to run and bike. You know, he watched our practice by Zoom. He actually made a comment during practice, I guess, two minutes before I blew the whistle and told us we need to pick up our practice, Lou actually said it so that was nice that he was critiquing practice because we have added a couple new things and he asked that question like, ‘wow, what is that?’ So I think that was good for him to see.”
Williams is unlikely to see more than 15-20 minutes in his return. Despite their current place in the Western Conference standings, the Suns have won their first two games of the bubble and will try to make it three straight against the Clippers.
In 60 appearances this season, Lou Williams averaged 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He's a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year for the third consecutive season, all with Los Angeles.
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Doc Rivers says there is still no update on the return of backup forward/center Montrezl Harrell. Harrell has been away from the team as he deals with the passing of his grandmother, someone he was very close to. In speaking with Harrell following her passing, Rivers told him to take his time and get right before returning.
“I’ve talked to him, but I don’t know what’s too soon or too late,” Rivers said regarding Harrell prior to the Pelicans game on Saturday. “When he’s ready, he’ll come back. You can’t play if you’re not right mentally because of the emotional part of it. All I told him is I love him and take your time and we’ll be ready with open arms when you come.”
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