NBA Playoffs 2015: Why The Toronto Raptors’ Lack Of An ‘It’ Factor Will Be Key For Washington Wizards

NBA Playoffs 2015: Why The Toronto Raptors’ Lack Of An ‘It’ Factor Will Be Key For Washington Wizards by Ben Mehic

It seems like every team in the NBA has a player that’s labeled a ‘Wizards Killer’. But there’s probably none more feared than Toronto Raptors guard, Louis Williams, who’s been called a ‘Wizards Killer’ for quite some time now.

Defending the likes of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will certainly be a tough task for the Washington Wizards, but Lou Williams is probably equally as tough to defend.

While he’s not as talented as the aforementioned players, for some reason, Williams morphs into the second coming of Michael Jordan when he’s playing the Washington Wizards.

Lou Williams has become a legitimate candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging nearly 16 points off the bench for Toronto.

However, the 6’1″ guard averaged 19.7 points on 48 percent shooting from the field in three meetings against Washington this season. He put those numbers up in less than 27 minutes of action.

Similar to D.J. Augustin during last year’s series against the Chicago Bulls, Lou Williams seems capable of winning a playoff game all by himself. Unless he’s on your team, Williams is one of the most irritating players to watch in the NBA.

There isn’t a shot that Lou Williams isn’t comfortable taking.

When the play breaks down, Williams is one of those players that makes defenses sick by knocking down shots from virtually anywhere on the court. Most teams seem to have a scoring spark off the bench and Lou Williams has become the ultimate spark for Toronto.

Garrett Temple served as the team’s defensive specialist off the bench, but it’s not likely that he’ll get much action (if any) against the Toronto Raptors. A hamstring injury to Temple might seem insignificant, but the Wizards really don’t have another player off the bench that’s capable of stopping Lou Williams.

The Raptors have been playing lousy basketball as of late, but they do have the talent to explode for big scoring nights. Lou Williams is a key catalyst to their offense, making him a defensive priority for the Washington Wizards.

At this point, I’ve probably made it seem like Lou Williams is impossible to stop.

Given his success against Washington, you could assume that Williams is going to put up monstrous stats against the Wizards during their playoff series.

Williams is inevitably going to hit tough shots. Washington can’t allow him to get into a rhythm early, otherwise they’ll be in trouble.

Williams shot just slightly over 40 percent from the field this season, so he isn’t unstoppable.

Limiting the amount of open three point looks for Williams will be key.

Williams shot nearly 40 percent in catch-and-shoot three point opportunities this season. Bradley Beal and Ramon Sessions will probably be asked to cover Williams, and forcing him to shoot off the dribble is going to be important. He made over 50 percent of his “wide-open” jump shots this season.

The Raptors will present match up issues for Washington, especially since their big men are capable of stretching the floor, but they’re still a perimeter oriented team. Toronto will go as far as their guards can take them, including Lou Williams.

Most coaches shorten their rotations during the playoffs, so you could expect Lou Williams’ minutes to increase. The guards will ultimately end up determining the winner of the series.

John Wall, Bradley Beal, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will be the featured match ups, but Lou Williams could end up swinging the series. If the Wizards want to advance to the semi-finals, containing Williams will be one of their top priorities. Will they be able to contain him? Well, that remains to be seen.