From Last Word on Pro Basketball, by Xavier Cooper
On Tuesday night the Los Angeles Lakers traded Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and an unprotected first-round draft pick. The Rockets currently rank second in the league in offensive efficiency. Adding Lou Williams just boosted the Rockets scoring off the bench, and also gave them another go-to guy if need be.
The Addition of Lou Williams Just Made The Rocket’s Offense Unstoppable
The Houston Rockets are sitting comfortably in the third spot in the Western Conference. With that being said, if the trade deadline passed and the Houston Rockets were to make no moves, it wouldn’t really matter. They would still be an elite team with a chance of at least making it to the Western Conference.
But, their latest move is proof that the Rockets weren’t content with having the second-best offensive efficiency.They weren’t content with just having an MVP candidate in James Harden. They weren’t content with leading the league in three pointers made. Instead of settling with their current roster, the Houston Rockets went and got one of the leagues best scorers to add to an already potent offense in Lou Williams, making the Houston Rockets unstoppable on that end of the floor.
Three Point Shooting
The Houston Rockets don’t hold the highest three point percentage in the league. But they do shoot a great percentage for the amount of threes they take. The Rockets are shooting 36.4% from long range on 39.8 attempts leading the league in that category. The Rockets aren’t shy about shooting from beyond the arc.
They lead also lead the league in three pointers made with 14.5. Lou Williams will look to boosts the Rockets in an area where they’re already one of the best. Williams shoots 38.6% from the three on 5.4 attempts. He shoots 50.9% from corner threes. This makes him the perfect backup for Eric Gordon who ironically won the 2017 NBA All-Star 3-point contest this past weekend in New Orleans. Gordon shoots 38.5% from the three on 9.2 attempts.
Gordon’s and William’s numbers are damn near identical from the three point line. In fact, their stats are pretty much the same across the board. The only odd stat that sticks out is the fact that Lou Williams averages more points with less minutes. Williams averages 18.6 points on 24.2 minutes a game. Gordon averages 17.2 points on 30.5 minutes a game. This isn’t a bad thing. It just gives the Rockets another knock down three point shooter to lead the bench.
Free Throw Shooting
Everyone knows James Harden is known to draw contact at the basket and knock down his free throws at a high percentage shooting 85.2% from the stripe. He’s the best in the league at doing this. But Houston is ranked 18th in free throw percentage in the league. This sucks for a team that’s also third in free throw attempts.
However, Lou Williams is going to help fill that hole. Williams shoots 88.4% from the free throw line on 5.9 attempts. He is a career 82.5% free throw shooter as well. Williams also shoots 64.7% on shots from 0-3 feet. 20.4% of his shot attempts come from this range. If Lou Williams can continue to make shots around the rim and knock down free throws, the Rockets will become more respected from the line.
Iso Play
The Rockets possess the one of the best one-on one guys in the NBA in James Harden. Harden’s ability to break down his defender and score is the main reason for Houston’s success. He demands so much attention that he’s many times double teamed. This results in someone being open for a wide open three, mid-range jumper, or cut to the basket.
In a sense, Lou Williams could be a mini Harden for the bench by creating wide open shots for his teammates. Lou Williams has every move a guard needs in his arsenal. He knows how to take his man off the dribble, make shots through contact, has a nice touch off the glass, and even a nice looking crossover. Lou Williams can flat out score using an array of offensive moves. Usually teams like to go on runs when the starters are taking a break. But it’ll be hard for opposing teams to stop Lou Williams from creating offense against second units.
If coach Mike D’Antoni wants, he could even throw Lou Williams in the game when Houston needs a last minute basket to win a game. Lou William’s PER is way above average with 24.1. So Lou Williams isn’t just another guy that likes to chuck up crazy shots, even though he often makes them when he does. Teams will now have another threat they’ll have to worry about before facing the Houston Rockets for the remainder of the season.
Main Photo
LOS ANGELES, USA – NOVEMBER 06 : Louis Williams (L) of Los Angeles Lakers in action against Eric Bledsoe (R) of Phoenix Suns during a NBA game between Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns at Staples Center in Los Angeles, USA on November 06, 2016. (Photo by Mintaha Neslihan Eroglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
