Raptors' Williams 'not even thinking about my knee when I play basketball'

With a change of scenery, Lou Williams is fully focused on putting two difficult years behind him. 

Williams struggled through a pair of seasons with the Hawks before a June trade brought him to the Toronto Raptors. The 27-year-old was limited to 99 games in two seasons in Atlanta largely due to a torn ACL suffered in January 2013. 

However, the nine-year veteran is feeling no ill effects from the injury, entering the 2014-15 campaign with a renewed sense of optimism. 

“I’m getting my quickness back, getting the explosion back,” Williams told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “Coming off of a torn ACL and coming off of one of the more challenging seasons of my career, I’m just getting back to how I played basketball in the past.

“I feel like I’m at 90 percent or higher – I’m attacking in transition again, I’m playing with a lot of confidence, I’m not even thinking about my knee when I play basketball. The sky is the limit right now.”

Williams took a huge step back last season - averaging 10.4 points and 3.5 rebounds on 40 percent shooting - but enters a new situation in Toronto with a clean slate. 

“They just want me to be in shape, they want Greivis [Vasquez] and I to come off the bench and give them energy, score the basketball and play with excitement,” Williams said.