To understand why Mo Williams is laughing now, you have to go back to draft day in 2003. The former University of Alabama guard was selected in the dreadful second round as the 47th pick by the Utah Jazz. Williams has always been a standout on the basketball court, whether it was in high school or college, Mo Williams was the leader and the main attraction on his team. But his new role as a 13 minute a night rookie backup point guard placed a huge chip on the shoulders of a guy that has never came off the bench.Though his stay in Utah only lasted one year, Williams wanted more responsibilities and exposure as a player in the NBA.
Mo's next destination was the Midwest. The Milwaukee Bucks were in desperate search of a point guard due to a spinal cord injury of starter T.J. Ford. Williams signed with the Bucks before the start of the 2004-2005 NBA season, giving him a chance to show why being drafted in the second round was a mistake. In his first season in Milwaukee, Williams averaged 10.2 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds per game. This wasn't bad for a guy that could have been receiving less exposure and limited minutes in Utah.
Williams relished his role in Milwaukee for the next three years, averaging 17 points and 6 assists as a starting point guard during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 NBA seasons. Mo's reputation as a tough scoring point guard made him a hot commodity throughout the NBA. One team in particular took notice on Williams growth in the league and decided to make a push for the rising point guard during the summer of 2008.
The Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry needed a player that could take some pressure off their young phenom in LeBron James. James created so much offense for Cleveland that no one really paid attention to his Cavalier teammates. After his Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, James cried out for assistance. Ferry acquired Williams in a three team deal with the the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks. The deal included six players, but Cleveland got the prize in Mo Williams.
The Cavalier organization sat on cloud 9 because they knew what Mo Williams could bring to their team. In an article by ESPN NBA writer Chris Broussard on Aug. 14th, 2008, general manager Danny Ferry said "Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term. He is entering his prime NBA years and will be the foundation of our future success".
At the start of the 2008-2009 NBA season, it was evident that bringing Mo Williams to Cleveland made the Cavaliers a team to be reckoned with in the NBA. Some people say that when you play with greatness, it rubs off on others. This was the case for Cleveland's new point guard, Williams increased his scoring average from 17. 2 to 17.9 points per game. His three point shooting also increased from 38% to 43%, making him a constant threat.
Not to take anything away from King James, but Mo Williams plays a huge role into why LeBron is having one of his greatest seasons in the NBA. Teams can't focus their entire attention on LeBron's superhero like talents anymore because creeping in the shadows is the deadly assassin known as Mo Williams. The Cavaliers are now equipped with a one-two punch that is the key ingredient for championship teams in the NBA. The Bulls had it with Michael and Scottie, the Lakers had it with Kareem and Magic and the Spurs have it with Parker and Duncan.
The elevation of the Cavalier's play has made their home court a terror dome for opposing teams. The Cavaliers are 37-1 when playing in the comfortable walls of Quicken Loans arena and they boast one of the better records in the NBA at 62-15. The stellar point guard play by Williams made the chemistry of the Cavaliers flow throughout the season. For the first time in his career, Mo Williams was selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star, joining his teammate LeBron James. The honor was well deserved because of Mo's emergence as one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference and his averages of 17. 9 points and 4 assists per game.
Cavalier fans dreamed of an NBA championship when LeBron James came to the Cavaliers, but Mo Williams can be the key to turning that dream into a reality.
Be Peaceful
- Congratulations to future Hall of fame guard Jason Kidd! Kidd passed up NBA legend and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson this past weekend for the number 3 spot on the NBA's all-time assist list. Kidd now has 10,142 career assist.
- Allen Iverson's days are numbered in Detroit. The 12 year veteran decided to sit out the rest of the season because of his sore back. But more importantly Iverson was quoted as saying that he would rather retire than come off of the bench for the Detroit Pistons. Detroit fans, don't expect to see A.I. in a Pistons uniform next year.
- A standing ovation should be given to "His Airness" Michael Jordan. The greatest player to ever live (in my opinion) was elected into the Baskebtall Hall Of Fame today in Detroit. Jordan finished his royal 15 year NBA career as the third leading scorer in NBA history (32,292 points), six NBA championships and a host of other awards and achievements. Thanks for the memories Mike!!
