After playing as a journeyman for most of this decade—six different teams within an eight-year span—Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams appears to have found the right place to call home.
He's now done the incredible by racking up six 35-plus-point game this season, tripling the production of every NBA reserve combined, via Justin Kubatko of Stat Muse.
The @LAClippers Lou Williams has six games with at least 35 points coming off the bench this season. All other reserves have combined for two such games this season. #ItTakesEverything
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) February 24, 2018
Nobody, probably not even Williams himself, could see him be as important for the team's success as he has this season. The Clippers are just one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the eight and final playoff spot in a very competitive Western Conference. A big reason why they in this position is Lou-Will's ability to step up as he saw his teammates fall to injuries, one after another.
As helpful as Williams has been, he has done most of his damage off the bench; it is no coincidence that he already has a Sixth Man of the Year award under his belt. Sweet Lou has come off the bench in 43 out of the 57 games he has played this season.
Those six games include three 35-point performances, a 36-point outing, and two 40-point games. No other bench player in the NBA has scored 40 points this season. Also, two of these six games came against the Memphis Grizzlies. When Williams drops 35-plus off the bench, the Clippers are 4-2. The other two bench players with 35-plus points are Will Barton and Bobby Portis. Barton dropped 37 points over the Chicago Bulls on November 30th and Portis scored 38 two nights ago in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
This season, Williams holds career-highs in points (23.3), assists (5.4), free throws made per game (5.6) and free throw percentage (89.6), three-pointers made (2.8) and three-point shooting percentage (37.7), effective field goal percentage (52.4), and minutes played per game (32.4). It is fair to say this is the best year in his career. He is also an obvious frontrunner for this season's Sixth Man of the Year award.
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