Raptors’ Lou Williams runs away with 2014-15 Sixth Man of the Year Award
Toronto Raptors’ shooting guard Lou Williams has come away with the 2014-15 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
After a nice season for the Toronto Raptors in which they made the playoffs as something other than a No. 8 seed, the team has been rewarded with a nice piece of hardware. While the award is for one player and not the entire team, it just goes to show what kind of season the Raptors had.
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Lou Williams, a 10-year vet, has been named the NBA‘s Sixth Man of the Year, taking home the award for the first time in his career and becoming Toronto’s first ever sixth man winner.
The award is given to the best player to come off the bench in the NBA and Williams has contributed more to his team than most bench players. He is always the first one off the bench, hence the term sixth man, and the kind of player who isn’t afraid to shoot early and often.
On the year, Williams averaged 15.5 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game while helping to lead the Raptors to a 49-33 record and an Atlantic Division title. The team is currently in a playoff series with the Washington Wizards and down 1-0.
Williams, who has started just 54 games in his career, averaged a career-high in points while also taking more shots per game this season than in any other during his career.
There were a couple of other guys who were deserving of the award as well. Boston Celtics‘ point guard Isaiah Thomas was also deserving, averaging 15.2 points in the first half of the season before being traded to Boston and 19.0 points per contest as a member of the Celtics.
Thomas finished second in the voting with 33 first-place votes to Williams’ 78.
Here’s a fun fact:
Lou Williams is the first Raptor to win a non-rookie-of-the-year NBA award, and the first Raptor to win any NBA award since 1999. Hey now.
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) April 20, 2015
It’s safe to say the Raptors are looking for anything to cheer about in recent years and an NBA Sixth Man Award is something to be proud of.
Lou Williams will take home the crown over last year’s winner, Jamal Crawford, who happened to finish third in the voting. Williams is just 28 years old and will be looking to continue this hot streak in the playoffs against the Wizards.
Look for more solid production out of Williams in the years to come.
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