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ShareWait is Over for Williams
For two seasons Lou Williams has been waiting patiently for his opportunity. Heading into his third season with the 76ers, the wait seems to be over.
The Sixers second round draft pick from South Gwinnet High School has emerged this preseason as a steady hand at the point guard position by averaging team highs in points (14.7) and assists (4.2), while backing up savvy point guard Andre Miller in six preseason games.
Williams hopes to cement his role with the team during this season by building on the success he has had during the later part of the 2006-07 season, summer leagues in Las Vegas and Utah where he averaged 24.0 points per game, and now this year’s preseason.
“I’ve set the bar so high for myself… I want to be a regular, an Andre Iguodala or Kyle Korver. Those guys are mainstays on this team,” Williams said.
Williams has shown the ability to become a feared opponent to any defender, with a lightning quick first step, he has been able to blow by defenders and get into the lane consistently. This ability proves to be especially critical in fourth quarter crunch time, a time that Williams has shown to thrive in.
“When he has the ball in his hands he has shown the ability to take over,” Coach Maurice Cheeks said. “He can score, distribute the ball, and get us back into games.”
This ability was seen in the Sixers overtime loss to the New Jersey Nets on Friday October 12, Williams rallied the Sixers back from a 20 point second half deficit by scoring a team high 33 points, 18 of which coming in the fourth quarter. Also, in the Sixers first game against the New York Knicks on October 8, Williams scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
With the wealth of talent that he possesses, Coach Cheeks does not want to limit his role to the point or shooting guard.
“He can do both,” Cheeks said. “We have seen that he can score the basketball. But I think over time he can become a good point guard as well.”
While it’s important to some to classify him as a point or a shooting guard, it’s not important to Williams.
“It really doesn’t matter to me. I just want to go out there and play.”
The Sixers second round draft pick from South Gwinnet High School has emerged this preseason as a steady hand at the point guard position by averaging team highs in points (14.7) and assists (4.2), while backing up savvy point guard Andre Miller in six preseason games.
Williams hopes to cement his role with the team during this season by building on the success he has had during the later part of the 2006-07 season, summer leagues in Las Vegas and Utah where he averaged 24.0 points per game, and now this year’s preseason.“I’ve set the bar so high for myself… I want to be a regular, an Andre Iguodala or Kyle Korver. Those guys are mainstays on this team,” Williams said.
Williams has shown the ability to become a feared opponent to any defender, with a lightning quick first step, he has been able to blow by defenders and get into the lane consistently. This ability proves to be especially critical in fourth quarter crunch time, a time that Williams has shown to thrive in.
“When he has the ball in his hands he has shown the ability to take over,” Coach Maurice Cheeks said. “He can score, distribute the ball, and get us back into games.”
This ability was seen in the Sixers overtime loss to the New Jersey Nets on Friday October 12, Williams rallied the Sixers back from a 20 point second half deficit by scoring a team high 33 points, 18 of which coming in the fourth quarter. Also, in the Sixers first game against the New York Knicks on October 8, Williams scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
With the wealth of talent that he possesses, Coach Cheeks does not want to limit his role to the point or shooting guard.
“He can do both,” Cheeks said. “We have seen that he can score the basketball. But I think over time he can become a good point guard as well.”
While it’s important to some to classify him as a point or a shooting guard, it’s not important to Williams.
“It really doesn’t matter to me. I just want to go out there and play.”
