[OC] Louie Louie: How Lou Williams nearly cost the Lakers their Bubble Chip

*Summer 2016, Lakerland.*

Kobe Bean Bryant has just concluded his career with a 60-piece masterpiece, the Lakers have poached the Warriors Assistant Luke Walton to succeed Byron Scott as their tank commander, and legendary GM Mitch Kupchak has given Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng $136 million over the next four years to keep the bench warm and iron Walton’s suits

The Lakers first meme team is manned by Julius Beyblade Randle, D-loading, an emaciated Kevin Durant (Brandon Ingram), [Marcelo Huertas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WZpysiobzw), Nick Young, and Metta World Peace. Even [Kobe knows](https://youtu.be/OCZ3DhCLpBc?t=133) the future is bleak.

Due to the [Steve Nash trade](https://lakeshowlife.com/2018/05/22/los-angeles-lakers-trade-for-steve-nash-finally-ending-in-2018-draft/) (and others), the Lakers owe a 2017 top-3 protected pick to the 76ers, which if it conveys, [also costs them a 2019 first round pick](https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2017/05/16/orlando-magic-will-pick-sixth-2017-nba-draft/) to the Magic. **If ever there was a year to tank, this was it.**

# Who is Lou Williams

Lou Williams aka [Lemon Pepper Lou](https://www.google.com/search?q=lou+williams+lemon+pepper&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS926US926&sxsrf=ALiCzsaiq2nq6nfputXM8z8UMFYqYT7oeg%3A1663704599689&ei=Fx4qY5rSKfikiLMPpMeEsAE&ved=0ahUKEwjaubPNlqT6AhV4EmIAHaQjARYQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=lou+williams+lemon+pepper&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQgAEJECMgUIABCGAzoECCMQJzoKCAAQgAQQhwIQFDoFCC4QgAQ6BQgAEIAEOgoILhCABBCHAhAUOgcIABCABBAKOgYIABAeEBZKBAhBGABKBAhGGABQAFjhDGCHDWgAcAB4AIAB0QGIAdIPkgEGMC4xMC4ymAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz), is pretty much an offensive beast. A player of the [Allen Iverson small scoring guard mold](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEFPWpu85_Y), he is the bench microwave, the guy who’s hotter than fish grease, and the legend with [two girlfriends](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/latest-news/lou-williams-opens-up-on-having-two-girlfriends-at-the-same-time).

What makes him deadly? High specialties include running the pick and roll, drawing fouls, and scoring in bunches. In the 2016-2017 season, he ran the pick and roll better than Chris Paul, drew fouls like James Harden, and scored as efficiently as prime Michael Jordan.

But what makes him *really* deadly? The man has [absolutely](https://twitter.com/TeamLou23/status/830325440426471424) [no regard](https://www.opencourt-basketball.com/lou-williams-lakers-traded-refused-tank/) [for tanking](https://lakersnation.com/lou-williams-explains-why-lakers-wont-tank/2017/02/12/).

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[Respect.](https://preview.redd.it/a008jredvdu91.png?width=889&format=png&auto=webp&s=69260aa05ba40960a2715ebf3dba09a82d8f7265)

# Lou Williams – the Pick Destroyer

It all started with Luke Walton, a now recognized idiot, realizing that Lou Williams is an offensive genius, and letting him wreak havoc with his fast-paced chucking offense. And Sweet Lou was magnificent on the attack.

**Drawing Fouls**

That season, Lou Williams was the third best foul drawing guard, after Spencer Dinwiddie and above James Harden. He was especially adept at drawing three point fouls. According to ESPN, as of 2019, Lou has drawn the [third-most three point fouls since the 1999-2000 season](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26662160/the-sour-science-driving-james-harden-vexing-genius#:~:text=249-,Lou). He was [Prince of the Foul](https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/685709812567420928).

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https://preview.redd.it/geg0ehsavdu91.png?width=886&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ea4ff3e17c86de7cf09bc1629b6629b974c2a36

**Going Left**

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https://preview.redd.it/wg97devivdu91.png?width=350&format=png&auto=webp&s=b54baef0ccd36edf4a2102fdd729e2576922208a

Lou loved shooting going left, especially in the mid-range. Also, notice those corner threes? Lou shot 51% (30/59) from the corner three that season.

Speaking of offensive efficiency, Lou ranked in the 97th percentile in offensive usage and the 98th percentile in points per attempt, at 1.233 points per shooting attempt, **trailing only James Harden among all shooting guards.**

According to [NBA.com](http://nba.com/) play tracking, Lou was the 6th best isolation player (1.1 points per play) and the best pick-and-roll handler by points-per-play among all players (1.07 points per play). **In other words, Lou was more efficient as both an isolation and pick-and-roll ballhandler than the Golden State Warriors with the newly acquired Kevin Durant.**

**Leading the bench unit**

Lou was part of 3 out of the 4 best Laker lineups that season, including a bench mob of Lou, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and Tarik Black that [blitzed teams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LNrG_dy7Y) by

* Attacking defenses early, in isolation and with a variety of screens.
* Breaking down defenses with their drive-and-kick game.
* Nance and Black putting pressure on the defense by being mobile, high energy, rim-running, and setting screens.
* Playing surprisingly good defense.

The Lakers’ bench during Lou Williams’ tenure was the highest scoring bench by a [WIDE margin](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=what+nba+team+has+the+highest+scoring+bench+between+10%2F26%2F16+and+02%2F21%2F17).

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https://preview.redd.it/8kz57892wdu91.png?width=1583&format=png&auto=webp&s=b41e1aec073e482fdc78539cfe603e792e4d5dfe

Lou also set records as a reserve, including [the record for most point scored in 4 games by an NBA reserve](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400899786) (despite his best efforts, the Lakers lost those four games). [Here’s Lou talking about the bench’s success.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy0FY77fAz4)

**Secrit Play with Huertas**

Finally, I need to shoutout the Lakers’ secrit play, first run by Williams and Huertas to perfection.

* [https://youtu.be/eDFb9l95eIw?t=149](https://youtu.be/eDFb9l95eIw?t=149)
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAuuLIdnSXE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAuuLIdnSXE)
* [https://youtu.be/IDtfGPopX9A?t=52](https://youtu.be/IDtfGPopX9A?t=52)
* And later by D-lo and ingram [https://streamable.com/qfzn8](https://streamable.com/qfzn8)

**The Damage**

In total, with Lou Williams ON the floor, the Lakers had a point differential of a 45-win team. With him OFF the floor, they played like a 14-win team. [ESPN Real Plus-Minus estimates](http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/year/2017/sort/WINS#:~:text=34,6.79) **that Lou Williams’ total impact that year was 6.79 wins. The Lakers finished 6 wins ahead of the last place 76ers.** You do the math.

In other words, Lou was winning us games we were supposed to be losing, while providing a show. It was beautifully painful, refreshingly baller, and unfortunately almost ruined the Lakers’ rebuild.

On February 21, the Lakers fired GM Kupchak and named Tragic Johnson as President of basketball operations. Two days later, Lou Williams was traded for a 2017 Houston first round pick and Corey Brewer during All Star Weekend (Daryl Morey, the GOAT GM). Two weeks later, Rob Pelinka was hired as GM, and the Lakers next chapter truly began.

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**All is well in Lakerland**

The picks associated with the Lou Williams anti-tank missile include the Lakers 2017 1st round pick ([Lonzo Ball](https://youtu.be/MHmX2xnH-sU?t=230)), their 2019 1st round pick, and a 2017 1st round pick from the Rockets. The 2017 Rockets pick was traded to the Utah Jazz for two picks, which they used to select Josh Hart and Thomas Bryant.

These assets: **Lonzo, Josh Hart, and the 2019 pick (later, De’Andre Hunter), were core pieces in the 2019 Anthony Davis trade**, in addition to Brandon Ingram and three picks.

Lou Williams continued his offensive brilliance in Houston, and later the Los Angeles Clippers. He continued to terrorize the Lakers, averaging **2**5.75 PPG in the next **2** seasons against them (his average during the same span was **2**0.47 PPG.

He would also win Western Conference Player of the week **twice** in **2**018, and 6th Man of the Year **twice** as well. Ironically, he and one of his **two** girlfriends broke up in **2**0**2**0, proving Lou is basically just like the rest of us.

And the Lakers, as you all know, won a championship in **2**0**2**0 with Anthony Davis, arguably Lebron’s best No. **2** option in his career. Does NBA history rhyme? **Too** much, if you ask me.

**The Lou Williams anti-tank award**

Which player this season will get hot and anti-tank their team? The Magic, Hornets, Spurs, Rockets, Jazz, and Thunder are likely tank candidates. Maybe Terry Rozier, Josh Richardson, Eric Gordon, Jordan Clarkson (taking on Lou’s legacy). What do you all think?

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by grapecider