Atlanta Hawks: How Lou Williams fourth quarter heroics helps the team

When the Atlanta Hawks traded Rajon Rondo to the LA Clippers, they got Lou Williams in return and he has transformed the Hawks fourth-quarter offense. Until the Milwaukee Bucks game, Williams was hitting his 3-point attempts at 51.0 percent in the fourth.

Against the Bucks, he went 4-of-7 from deep on his way to a 15 point night, all scored in the final quarter. He did not miss from deep in the fourth. Why this is massive for the Hawks is they gave up several leads in the final period earlier in the season which could have had a negative impact on their seeding for the playoffs.

The manner in which Williams is scoring is also very important for the franchise. He has been known as a foul baiter, initiating the contact by jumping into his defender. Williams is playing pure basketball and shooting it from the floor, meaning that he is keeping the momentum going for the Hawks and everybody seems to get on board when Williams is flying.

How the Atlanta Hawks benefit from Lou Williams’ fourth quarter exploits.

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When Williams is on, which is most fourth quarters, he brings the rest of the team into play. Defenses are always on the lookout for him when he has the ball in his hands. This can mean a double team will try and trap him. He is able to pass, dribble or shoot his way out of these traps.

Of course, when he is double-teamed, the Hawks have a free player, usually on the perimeter. The problem for the opposition, with the exception of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, all of the main rotation players can shoot the ball really well from deep.

Williams also has an impact on the big man rotation when he is going as well. His chemistry with Okongwu allows the rookie to stay on the court longer. This, in turn, gives Capela a bigger break, meaning he can come back on with more energy which does not bode well for the opposition.

All this allows the Hawks to gather momentum from more than one source and it has made them very hard to stop. Without Williams, the fourth quarter specialist, this momentum is harder to gather, meaning the Hawks do not win as many games.