Lou Williams says great defenders are hard to find in today's NBA because of how the game has shifted: 'You don't even know who the lockdown guys are'

Lou Williams recently shared his thoughts on the NBA's declining viewership during an episode of "Byron Scott's Fast Break podcast." The former guard echoed a common sentiment: viewers are less engaged because players today show less creativity on the court.

"Sweet Lou," however, took the theory a step further. Interestingly, he suggested that this lack of creativity also has another downside—it no longer produces lockdown defenders.

"I could ask you right now who's the top 10 defenders in the league, and we will be hard-pressed to find four or five clean-cut guys that you'd be like, 'They're lockdown defenders,' because the creativity is lacking in the game, where the offensive players are not showing who they really are because the analytics are running a lot of the game, and on the flip side of that, you don't even know who the defenders are, who the lockdown guys are. I say that's why the viewing is down," claimed Williams.

Certain matchups help players grow

"Sweet Lou," who played in the NBA from 2005 to 2022, certainly has a say in the debate. After all, he was an incredible bench plug known for his exceptional scoring skills. This was proven by two key achievements: Williams averaged a remarkable 22.6 points per game in the 2017-18 season and won the 6MOY award three times.

It's safe to say the retired 6'2" player never lacked creativity on the court. So whenever he entered the game, it was almost guaranteed he'd get the ball to showcase his skills. Naturally, opposing coaches knew this, too, and would send out their best lockdown defenders to stop him. This gave both Williams and those defenders the opportunity to hone—and eventually master—their specialties.

However, according to the 38-year-old, this dynamic is missing in today's NBA—an absence that negatively impacts the development of players blessed with offensive skills as well as those gifted with defensive abilities.

Williams slams modern NBA

"Sweet Lou" explained in detail why, in his opinion, the modern game—played by all 30 teams–no longer allows for the dynamic mentioned above.

"It's just an up-and-down game where we're shooting a bunch of three-pointers… It's too much of the All-Star Game feeling...where you've got guys coming down, chucking up a three, four, or five seconds into the shot clock," Williams remarked.

Besides offensively and defensively talented players bearing the brunt of this, he lastly pointed out another negative factor: not many players nowadays are blessed with "crunch time ability." However, Lou exempted Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, noting "they love the last four minutes of a game."

While the former second-round pick's view is interesting, he and others might just need to take a closer look at the game due to the highlighted shift. They'll then find that there are still lockdown defenders around: Herb Jones, Jaden McDaniels, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Jalen Suggs, OG Anunoby, and Dyson Daniels, among others, certainly prove this point.