Lou Williams is in the midst of a career year with the LA Clippers, but that still wasn’t enough to earn him his first All-Star selection.
12 years and six teams later, and Lou Williams still isn’t an NBA All-Star. On Tuesday, the NBA unveiled the reserve selections for next month’s All-Star Game. Four of the seven reserves were guards, including Jimmy Butler, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, and Klay Thompson.
Williams wasn’t the only Clipper left off the team. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were left off as well, despite both having All-Star caliber seasons. LA’s .500 record was almost certainly a factor.
Lou is having arguably the best season of his career. To put it into perspective, he’s having one of the best seasons for a sixth man in NBA history. Scoring more than 23 points off the bench, Williams is currently tied for 15th in the league in scoring. Not only is Lou Will scoring the ball, he’s also distributing it as well. Averaging more than five assists a game, he is almost leading the team. The three-ball is falling for Williams as well, as he’s shooting a career-high 40 percent from beyond the arc.
The season really began to turn for Williams in December. In 14 games, Williams averaged more than 25 points per game. He averaged six assists a game, and shot 43 percent from deep. In 10 of those games he scored more than 20 points. His top performance came in the final game of the month, versus the Charlotte Hornets. Williams went for 40 points, knocking down six 3’s, and dishing out eight assists. This performance helped earn him player of the week honors.
Just Getting Started
Things have only gotten better for Williams in January. In just 11 games, he’s averaging nearly 30 points a game (29.2). Averaging six assists a game, Williams is distributing the ball like never before. Eight times this month, Lou has scored more than 25 points. The most memorable performance though, was his 50-point outbreak in Oakland.
The 50 stands out, but what’s more impressive was his overall stat line. Williams dished out seven assists as well, and knocked down eight 3’s. For the second time this season, Lou earned player of the week honors.
This snub ends a streak for the Clippers, which have had an All-Star every year since the 2009-2010 season. It stings hard for the fans, and Williams himself offered a glimpse how he feels about the snub on Twitter:
Lol
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) January 23, 2018
The Lakers have also been shut out of the All-Star Game, which will be played at Staples Center on February 18.