The Los Angeles Clippers have finally become a team worth following, and while it hasn’t always been pretty, all indications are the Chris Paul experiment is going to pay huge dividends. But what about the Mo Williams experiment?
In Paul’s recent absence, Williams really stepped up. While with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was really thought to have lost his composure. His production was steadily diminishing and he became a liability on the defensive end.
Things changed once he was traded to Clippers last season. His production began to increase and he thrived in an increased role. Now, here we are, not even a year later, and Williams has been asked to take a backseat yet again, this time to Paul. And according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, it has led to Williams becoming expendable at the hands of the Clippers.
From CBSSports.com:
No formal trade request has been lodged yet, but sources say a player to watch as the deadline approaches is the Clippers’ Mo Williams. There simply aren’t enough minutes in the Clippers’ crowded backcourt, not even enough for Williams to assert himself as a viable threat off the bench. In the Clippers’ 95-89 overtime victory over the Heat on Wednesday night, Williams had six points in only 21 minutes. At only 26 minutes a game, Williams’ playing time has been squeezed and with the grueling schedule, there will be no shortage of contenders looking for guard help.
Williams’ minutes have increased the last half of January, but with Paul returning to action and Eric Bledsoe set to do the same, nothing is guaranteed.
There is bound to be a strong market for the 29-year-old point guard, yet the Clippers are better off capitalizing off of Williams’ presence, as opposed to his departure. Paul is the unquestioned floor general for Los Angeles, but he and Williams have been an explosive duo when on the court together.
Chauncey Billups is not going to be around much longer, and Williams could easily assume the undersized shooting guard role the veteran has taken up. Until then, his production off the bench is invaluable for a Clippers team still in the early stages of developing cohesion between its two superstars.
There may be a logjam in Los Angeles’ backcourt, but the players haven’t seemed to mind thus far. Everyone is playing extremely unselfish basketball and thriving off of each other. Why would anyone want to disrupt that?
The penny-pinching Donald Sterling is always looking to save a few bucks, but he took the plunge into financial lunacy when he acquired Paul, and there’s no reason to revert back now.
Are the Clippers championship contenders this season?
With a group so new to each other, it’s truly unclear if they have what it takes to make an immediate title run. That being said, it’s a hell of a lot more likely with Williams on board.
Dan Favale is an avid basketball analyst and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His work can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
