When the Atlanta Hawks traded Rajon Rondo, they fixed a glaring hole in their roster. The minutes when Trae Young sits were an offensive struggle, so bringing back Lou Williams for another stint with the team seemed like a good idea. As it turns out, it certainly was.
Williams came in at the same time that the Hawks fixed their fourth-quarter fade-outs. Part of this was the new head coach Nate McMillan teaching the young Hawks how to close out games. The other part is that Williams simply shines in the fourth, it is Lou time.
The fact that the 14-year veteran almost chose to retire when he heard about the move was a little concerning, but the Hawks had two motives for the trade. The first was to get Rondo’s salary off the books, and the second was to get some offensive play in the second unit.
The Atlanta Hawks looked a better team when Lou Williams was on the court
The thing about Williams is that even if he is off, teams cannot afford to slack off on their defense. It only takes one shot for the veteran to get going. He also has the ability to involve others. The connection that he had, almost instantly, helped the rookie develop into the player we saw in the postseason.
An incredible bonus of the postseason run Williams hinted via Twitter that he would like to come back and try again next season. If this is the case, then the Hawks should certainly pursue the gifted shooter in free agency.