Lou Williams didn’t start games for the Sixers last season but he usually finished them.
Recently, however, that role has gone to Willie Green, and not by default.
“I like his scoring, I like his defense, just his attitude out on the court,”
Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. “It’s been very good and it’s been contagious. I thought in the Indiana game when we were down a lot he came in and just kept fighting. He just had this fighting attitude and I thought it got contagious to other guys out there. And he’s obviously making shots. He’s making shots and he’s getting more opportunities because of the way he’s been playing defense.”
Green has had a solid start through the first 10 games this season and will look to build on that tonight when the Sixers play in Minnesota (8 p.m., CSN.) While he’s averaging just 8.6 points a game, he is shooting 48.5 percent overall and 53 percent from 3-point range.
In the past, Green has sometimes struggled with coming off the bench. But after starting all of last season, he knew he was probably the odd man out with the addition of Elton Brand. He has adjusted.
“I’m able to do a little more observing, maybe sit back and watch what the other team is doing, and then I just go in the game with the mindset of making a difference,”
he said. “It started with my defense. I think that’s the key to me being able to get time on the floor. Any time I can go out there and play pretty good defense it triggers everything.”
Cheeks has certainly noticed, and for the last three games, all wins, Green has been the on the court when the game’s on the line.
“I think you have to go with the guy at the time that’s playing the best basketball, and right now Willie is that guy,”
the coach said. “I don’t know if it’s a different attitude or what, but he seems so committed to doing whatever it is. In the Toronto game he took a couple of charges, he had a couple of weak-side passes that he stole. It’s contagious and you just try to keep him on the floor as much as you can.”
Green knows his role could change at any time.
“It all depends on who’s warm, who’s got it going that game,”
he said. “There’s been a couple games in the fourth quarter where I had it going. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot of games where Lou has it going. Whoever Mo sees that’s in that flow, I think that’s who he usually tries to go with in the fourth quarter and that’s smart. As a coach, you’ve got to put the best five out there in terms of who has it going that day to try to win. There’s going to be a be a lot of times where it’s me. There’s going to be a lot of time’s where it’s Lou. It may be some other guys."
“As a teammate, I’m on the sideline, or I’m in the game and I’m rooting guys on just trying to get that win.”
At some point, those minutes could revert back to Williams, but the fourth-year guard is admittedly struggling right now. He is averaging 9.3 points, but just 1.7 assists and two turnovers a game. And he’s shooting just 36 percent from the floor and 68 percent from the free-throw line.
“I’m kind of in a shooting slump right now,”
Williams said. “I guess that’s what they call it. I’ve never experienced that before. But I’m still trying to play hard, still coming out here and being a good teammate. That’s the only thing I can focus on. I think I got caught up too much in looking for my own shot as opposed to just making plays for everybody else, including myself. That’s one of the things I’ve realized watching film and talking to coach. I’m just trying to find myself again and get back to the basics.”
In the meantime, he’ll be a cheerleader for Green,or whoever gets those late-game minutes.
“I think that’s the great thing about our basketball team — any given night we’ve got guys that can step in and play roles that need to be filled,”
Williams said. “Great for us that it’s been Willie. Willie’s been playing great for us. It’s not a competition here. We realize we all put on the same uniforms. We have to do the same thing. More respect to Willie for going out and getting those minutes, but like I said, it’s no competition. We all stand up and cheer.“
“I think the goal at the end of the year is to win as many basketball games as we can and we can’t do that by separating our locker room.”
