NBA Week 11 Rewind: The Spurs are the class of the NBA
By Tom West
Under-the-radar Players to Watch Next Week
Lou Williams must have made Toronto Raptors fans miss him last week. After going off for a season-high 30 points to help the Lakers defeat the Suns 97-77 on January 3, he kept going and exploded yet again with a 44-point night against the Thunder.
This hot spell for Williams has obviously given Lakers fans something to cheer about, but the problem with his game is that he’s a fairly streaky player. He’s a high frequency guy who can takeover a game and he really proved that last season with the Raptors, although he does have his down spells, too.
With 20 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting last week, though, he at least gave fans some entertainment besides Jordan Clarkson dunks and vintage Kobe moments.
Deron Williams needs another mention, besides us looking at his game-winning moment against the Kings. The fact that he looks much more comfortable, both physically and confidence wise, is a key factor in the Mavericks’ surprisingly successful start this season. Because quite frankly, Williams has looked washed for multiple seasons now. He’s been far from the five-time consecutive All-Star he was with the Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets a few years ago, and his career has continued to decline since.
That being said, he’s currently enjoying a bit of a comeback season, which is helped by being part of a winning team. This was on full display against the Kings, as the Mavs could run plays based around Williams, from inbound hand-offs that create driving opportunities to three-pointers and game-winners. Even though he’s still far from his prime, he’s made a real difference at times and being able to finish at the rim effectively by making 61.9 percent of his shots within three feet (up from 45.7 last season) is a real bonus.
He’s dealing with a sore right arm at the moment (his shooting arm) and was inactive on January 6 following the win against the Kings, but when he’s fully healthy again, he can look to continue his season as a more efficient and effective player on the 5th best team in the West.