Nov 24, 2014
Lewenberg: Career night earns Williams Player of the Week honours
Raptors' super sub Lou Williams turned a few heads with his career game on Saturday night. Less than 48 hours after pouring in 36 points, a personal best, and leading his team to a comeback win in Cleveland, Williams was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, earning the honour for the first time in his 10-year NBA career.
TORONTO - Raptors' super-sub Lou Williams turned a few heads with his career game on Saturday night.
Less than 48 hours after pouring in 36 points, a personal best, leading his team to a comeback win in Cleveland, Williams was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, earning the honour for the first time in his 10-year NBA career.
Averaging 23.7 points off the bench and shooting 53 per cent from three-point range, Williams helped propel the Raptors to a 3-0 record from November 17-23.
In Wednesday's win over Memphis, Williams registered 13 points in just 18 minutes before scoring 22 in 19 minutes Friday night against Milwaukee. The Raptors trailed by 15 when he entered Saturday's contest midway through the opening quarter. Scoring 12 quick points, Williams fueled Toronto's 110-93 victory over LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
"I've never really set my career on individual goals," said Williams, who found out about the award in a text from his PR department Monday morning. "I wasn't waiting [for it] or anything. I've put together some solid games this week so it was pretty cool to get that text."
Acquired in an off-season trade from Atlanta - one that also brought Lucas Nogueira to Toronto in exchange for the right to waive John Salmons - Williams leads all Eastern Conference reserves in scoring, averaging 13.4 points in his first 13 games with the Raptors. He has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 outings.
After undergoing serious knee surgery to repair a torn ACL midway through his first year with the Hawks, Williams spent most of last season trying to rediscover what made him one of the league's top reserves as a member of the 76ers.
"When you're sitting there and you have a cast on and wheelchair and crutches and can't lift your leg up, you can't ride a bike, you can't run, you can't jog, obviously there's going to be some doubt there," said Williams, who admits he never felt like himself in Atlanta. "Two years later it's great to see some fruits of the labour to feel myself back to 100 per cent, being back healthy and having some success."
In his recovery, Williams leaned on other players who have sustained similar injuries, including Celtics star Rajon Rondo and Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who tore his ACL as a freshman in college.
A prolific scorer off the bench once again, the 28-year-old combo guard has blossomed into Toronto's closer less than a month into his tenure with the Raptors. Leading the team in fourth-quarter scoring with 52 points in 87 minutes played, Williams has attempted Toronto's final shot in seven of eight quarters during their most recent back-to-back set, connecting on three buzzer-beaters.
"Lou could probably start on some teams but he's made a living on being the sixth man off the bench and he's back healthy again," said Dwane Casey. "He's a big plus for our second unit. We needed every punch he had the other night in Cleveland."
Williams becomes the sixth Raptor to earn Player of the Week honours, joining Chris Bosh and Vince Carter - seven-time winners of the award - along with Mike James, Jalen Rose and Lowry. He's the first bench player to be named Player of the Week since Suns' forward Markieff Morris won it out West on Nov. 11, 2013.