Lou Williams Out With Season-Ending Knee Injury


Horrific news for the Atlanta Hawks over the weekend, as guard Lou Williams shredded his right knee and won’t play again this season. Reports the AJC: “Lou Williams’ first season with the Hawks ended after just 39 games. Williams was lost with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, a diagnosis made following an MRI exam Saturday afternoon. The Hawks guard suffered the injury against the Nets Friday. The Hawks’ third leading scorer will require surgery to repair the damaged knee at a to-be-determined date. Coach Larry Drew called the loss to Williams for the season ‘devastating.’ He was to meet with this team prior to Saturday’s game against the Spurs to implore them to move forward – much as the organization did last season after the loss of Al Horford. ‘You hate to see it happen,’ Drew said. ‘You wish for a fast and speedy recovery but we have to conduct business as usual and we have to move on. We have to get somebody in that locker room that is going to have to step up. Any time one of your soldiers is down somebody else has to pick it up. I have confidence that that will happen.’ The Hawks signed Williams to a multi-year deal as a free agent this summer. He had appeared in all 39 games, mostly off the bench, this season and averaged 14.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds. In his nine starts, Williams averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds. […] Anthony Morrow said he has spoken to Williams and that he is ‘doing well considering the circumstances.’ Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said the team will stand by Williams as he recovers from the injury and expects him to return next season in full health. Ferry said the team has not yet decided on a course of action for a possible replacement.”