Clippers’ Lou Williams, Jazz’s Mike Conley Get Eye-Opening Praise From Peer

Getty Images Lou Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles past Patty Mills #8 of the San Antonio Spurs

Los Angeles Clippers guard, Lou Williams is living his best life in LA.

Currently averaging 18.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists, he is a huge part of the Kawhi Leonard, Paul George-led Clippers team that is currently 43-19 and in second place in the NBA’s Western Conference.

Concurrently, the Utah Jazz gained leadership and a basketball mind this summer when they traded to get Mike Conley Jr. who currently averages 13.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the 39-22 Utah Jazz.

Marreese Speights, the newest acquisition in Ice Cube’s Big 3 basketball league played with Lou Williams during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers and with Mike Conley Jr. during his days with the Memphis Grizzlies.

During this week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, we discussed their growth.

Check out our Q&A below:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: In Memphis you played with Mike Conley. He’s now a member of the Utah Jazz. I look at him as a leader. I look at him as a guy who was beloved in Memphis for years and now he’s in Utah. Do you like him in Utah?

GettyMike Conley #10 of the Utah Jazz reacts to a play against the LA Clippers

Marreese Speights: Well last night is the first time I got a chance to watch Mike really over there and you have to understand that Mike was on that team [Memphis] for eleven years. So it’s different man. You’ve been on a team for eleven years and you’ve been the man over there, you’re going to have to go through an adjustment. It’s going to be a lot of rough patches for sure if you’re not used to playing on a different team so – I like him because he’s a good player, he’s a good person and he’ll figure it out, if he’s there for the long run he’ll figure it out

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I have to be honest with you. When I look at your body of work, I was happy that you won a ring with the Warriors. You made a brief stint with the Cavs, you played with Memphis for a little while and you played with the Clippers. I feel like – Jay Z made a song called “Coming of Age” I feel like every stop you made there were coming of age moments for you but to me I’ll always remember you as a 76er because I feel like that team if I’m not mistaken you guys went toe-to-toe with Boston and you went toe-to-toe with the Chicago Bulls during your time in Philadelphia.

Marreese Speights: That year you’re talking about that’s when I got traded. I got traded earlier that year to Memphis. That was the lockout year you’re talking about [2011]

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: So when you guys were going toe-to-toe with the Bulls, correct?

Marreese Speights: The years I played is when we went toe-to-toe with the Magic when they went to the championship, the second year we didn’t make the playoffs, the third year that’s when Miami had their big three and we lost in Miami. The fourth year that’s when I was there for a little bit and traded to Memphis. That’s when they played Chicago and lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: That era for me when I look at it was when I was in undergad. Then I went to grad school. I just remember seeing you and hearing your name, the way the announcer said your name, it was crazy the public address announcer. If I’m not mistaken, during that time you did play with Allen Iverson briefly when he came back to Philadelphia. What were those crowds like then?

Marreese Speights: Crazy man. Everywhere you go, on the road – whatever! That the first time I’d seen that happen. I mean I’d seen how you’d go on the road and they call the guy’s name out, and they’re cheering on the road, I’m like ‘Yooo, this is crazy!’ everywhere you go is like a Finals game. Especially when you came back, it was crazy. And that’s the year I was on my way to career best. I was averaging before I got hurt, I was averaging like 16 points. But I ended up getting hurt and I missed a month and a half and then I came back and he was there. Yo man, Iverson is a great person also too man. We lived in the same apartment complex –

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Really.

Marreese Speights: Yup.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Lou Williams seemed to be like – was mentored by him, idolized Allen Iverson and there was just a rapport that was there. Are you surprised by the success that he’s having currently with the Clippers?

Marreese Speights: Not surprised at all. I knew him Me him were like – you see how him and Montrezl Harrell is on the second unit? That’s how me and him was with the Sixers. I mean the guy stays in great shape, he hoops the whole summer, he never takes any time off, he does what he does. He plays his game at his pace. It doesn’t matter what generation he plays in, he plays the game at his pace. Nobody’s ever going to rush him off, he’s going to get to his spots and do what he do. The guy is going to do that for I don’t know how many more years, because he looks like that he’s not slowing down. He’s getting better every year it looks like