As the LA Clippers will have playoff aspirations next season, arguably their biggest threat in the Western Conference will be the San Antonio Spurs. They are a phenomenal team, but there is a way to stop them: slow down Victor Wembanyama. Although it’s not an easy task, a center for the Portland Trail Blazers, Robert Williams, who made life hard for the seven-foot-four alien in the first round of the playoffs, is about to become a free agent, and the Clippers must pursue him to contain Wembanyama.
Williams wasn’t able to shut him down completely; that’s practically an impossible task. However, the 28-year-old showcased physicality, denied Wembanyama what he wanted in the paint, and used his athleticism to the fullest.
In all honesty, Williams did a better job than most, and that’s precisely why he should be at the top of the Clippers’ free agent targets.
Robert Williams must be made an LA Clipper over the summer
On top of doing a great job on Victor Wembanyama in the playoffs and helping the Portland Trail Blazers win one game against the San Antonio Spurs, who won the Western Conference, Robert Williams is one of the best centers in the free agent market.
We already know Williams can defend at a high level, and has been able to for years with an All-Defensive team on his resume, but he can also do damage inside the paint, rebound at a level the LA Clippers desperately need, and has shown his potential in spacing the floor.
In fact, Clipper Nation certainly remembers Williams’ three-point shooting in the must-win tie-breaker near the end of the season, as he drilled two buckets from beyond the arc, which helped him rack up 13 points and ten rebounds.
The Clippers really had no answer for him, from start to finish, for all of his 18 minutes on the court.
That said, on the open market, the front office needs to be aggressive in pursuing Williams.
He’s going to draw a ton of interest from contenders all over the league, particularly because of his efforts on Wembanyama in the postseason, which will force the Clippers to dig into their pockets to sign him to a relatively long-term deal.
It’ll all be worth it, though, considering Williams is fairly young and also fits extremely well next to Darius Garland through the pick-and-roll and his finishing around the rim.
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