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Of the 16 years that Lou Williams has been in the NBA, only four were spent with the L.A. Clippers. But they were four of his best seasons, which included two Sixth Man of the Year awards (in 2018 and 19) as well as 19.1 points and 5.5 assists, well ahead of his averages with all other teams—five of them, for which he averaged 12.8 points and 2.9 assists.
So when, on Thursday, he got word that he had been traded to Atlanta in a deadline-day deal with the Hawks for Rajon Rondo, Williams took it hard, even saying on social media that he considered retiring.
“Yea, so I thought about retiring yesterday,” Williams wrote. “You give so much to an organization and you wake up and boom, it’s no more.”
But, Williams went on to say, he thought better of the retirement idea.
“Then in true clipper nation fashion I was reminded that my talent and contribution was appreciated and It made me reflect on what’s to come,” he noted. “There’s plenty left in my tank and I’m privileged to continue my career in my backyard. LA, thank you. Love you. Appreciate you. Great times and memories!”
Clippers Were Looking for Lou Williams in Thursday Win
If Williams seemed, at first, a little lost without the Clippers, he can take some solace in knowing the feeling was mutual. At age 34, his usefulness has certainly waned, and this season, he averaged just 12.1 points, his lowest output as a Clipper. His numbers have declined each year he has been with the Clippers, and he was playing just 21.9 minutes, his fewest since his second year in the NBA.
On Thursday, in the Clippers’ grinding win over the Spurs, coach Ty Lue said it was a bit surreal to take a peek down his bench and not have Williams on hand to insert. He added that the feeling left by letting go of Williams was, “bitter.”
“We talked about it at halftime,” Lue said, according to the L.A. Times. “I said, ‘We need Lou Will right now.’”
Instead, Williams was on his way back to his hometown of Atlanta, where he played for two seasons, from 2012-14. Williams, of course, got into hot water during the NBA’s restart in Orlando last summer when he had to leave the league’s bubble environment to go to a funeral in Atlanta—and was subsequently photographed getting food at a well-known strip club. Williams was fined for the excursion.
Williams will join a crowded rotation in Atlanta, where Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari have been combining to score 23.0 points per game off the bench.
Rondo Expected to Solidify Clippers’ Poor Fourth Quarters
Soon, possibly Saturday, the Clippers will have Rondo on hand and despite a weak set of numbers for the season—3.9 points and 3.5 assists in 14.9 minutes per game—Rondo will be a boost for the Clippers and, it is hoped, will help the team get past its persistent struggles on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter.
The Clippers are 10-11 in “clutch” games, which the NBA’s stats wing defines as games that are within five points with five minutes to play. They’re lucky to be that close to .500. They have a net efficiency rating of -12.2 in clutch situations, which ranks 23rd in the NBA. The blame for that has fallen largely to the point guard trio of Patrick Beverley (who has been injured), Reggie Jackson (who struggles to defend) and Williams (who struggles with defense worse than Jackson).
The hope is that Rondo can fix that issue. He does not need to score, just needs to be solid on D and set up the offense for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Clippers president Lawrence Frank, who was an assistant in Boston in 2010-11, when Rondo was a Celtics starter, called Rondo, “one of the most skilled orchestrators of his era.”
That is what the Clippers need. Williams, while thankfully not ready for retirement, was not providing it. Perhaps Rondo will.
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Ex-Clippers Star Torn Up Over Trade: ‘I Thought About Retiring’