Note: Over the next couple of weeks we will recap the Sixers' season by evaluating each member of the roster.
Lou WilliamsPosition: GuardStatus: Early termination option in contract that if exercised could make him unrestricted free agent
Lou Williams came to the Sixers as a kid straight out of high school. He quite possibly could leave the franchise this summer after seven years of service, developing into a perennial contender for Sixth Man of the Year and becoming a bona fide scorer in the NBA.
Williams has the option to get out of his current contract come July 1 and he will. Thats the reason that option is built into a deal. Williams led the Sixers in scoring while coming off the bench with 15 points per game. He shot only 41 percent from the floor, down from his career-best 47 percent three years ago. However, he did shoot better than 36 percent from three-point range, which was the highest in his seven years.
Signature game of 2011-12When looking at a scorer it is easy to identify their best contribution in the course of a season by simply targeting the game they scored the most points.
Williams had 28 points in a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden in New York City March 11. He was tremendous, shooting 10 of 19 from the floor and 5 for 6 from the foul line.
Williams in 2011-12Williams is crafty, he can get to the rim and his outside shot has greatly improved over his tenure in Philadelphia. But during the postseason the two top defenses in the league this season, Chicago and Boston, shut him down.
Williams postseason numbers paled in comparison to his regular-season production. He shot 35 percent from the floor and a lowly 17 percent from three-point range while averaging 11.5 points a game.
Williams has made it clear that starting is not essential to him because he has carved a niche that makes him valuable to this team and the Sixers value is contributions.
The questions that need to be answered are what is his price on the market and is that a fair price for the Sixers situation?
Williams is a great scorer but one might recall how Andre Iguodala, accurately although not smartly, pointed out that Williams is not a strong defender.
The Sixers need to know the number they would fairly pay Williams, but if the bargaining goes beyond that number with another team they need to walk away and know they did what was right for them.
PredictionThe Sixers offer a fair price and Williams, knowing his niche, stays in the City of Brotherly Love. He will get stronger and, as he has each season, add a dimension to his game.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com.