Thinking the Cavs Got Their Man This Time

if you’re comparing the two, yes I think Mo Williams is a much more valuable player on any team. But it remains to be seen if he can actually win. With LeBron he will get his share of wins, now let’s see how much he can contribute taking some pressure off of LeBron offensively.

hey steve, thanks for grinding out the posts during the slow season. i think the cavs got more dangerous with the addition of williams. what the heck will they do with delonte, a very serviceable player who looks like will be getting diminished time.and what is going on with monte and the warriors-don’t go after your # 1 player, get him the best medicos and help him rehab.

Then again, Smith would have cost a fraction of Williams’ salary, and his contract would have been shorter and more flexible. I was watching some clips of JJ Hickson last night, and think he will be good within a couple years, but I wonder if Donte Greene might have worked out in Cleveland. I think his attitude would have improved playing with LeBron, he can shoot the lights out, and has tons of potential.

Ah Steve, say it isn’t so?

You say a man who scored 16-17ppg while starting two years ago and is a phenomenally improved player since then … a guy who dropped 18ppg (27mpg) in the playoffs …. a guy who scores 23 points per 36 minutes …. a man who was 16th in league in three points made while only playing 19 minutes a night … who easily would have led the league in three pointers if he played starters minutes ….. a man who is one of the most efficient scorers (TS% 60) in the league … a man who’s one of the best jump shooters (eFG 58% – only two [Nash/Miller} perimeter players are more efficient in the entire league) in the league ….

This is worse than a guy who at his best scores 17ppg …. a player who in two of out his three years as a starter padded his stats on sub .500 teams to the tune of 5ppg more per game …. a player with as you’ve commented before a dodgy track record efficiency wise … a selfish runt who has no idea how to run an offense …. a player who on several occasions refused to pass to Michael Redd in the clutch because he wanted to shoot the ball … a player who was awful at involving his teammates and consistently failed to service his big men … a player who over-dribbles the ball …… this is who is better?

Steve no! …. say it isn’t so?

You’re talking about Mo Williams like he is a point guard. Williams made a mockery of Milwaukee’s offense. You can’t talk about him like he’s a point guard. He’s a short two guard with horrific point guard instincts. Delonte West is a better floor general than Mo Williams.

Steve …. say it isn’t so?

You talk about character and say a guy (Mo Williams) who lays down and gives up on his team when times are bad …. this is better than a guy who stood up when times got tough and willed his team into the playoffs? A man who was the single biggest spark plug in the Nuggets run to the playoffs over the last few weeks of the season? A man who led several second unit inspired comebacks against the Lakers while most of his teammates were giving up?

Steve …. say it isn’t so?

When JR Smith would slot in perfectly to the Cavs hole on the wings allowing Cleveland to keep their 1-2 punch at the point with Delonte and Gibson, moving Wally to 6th man and Pavlovic to deep backup …. surrounding LeBron James with perhaps the best collection of perimeter shooters in the league

You’re telling me Mo Williams fits in better?

Steve …. say it isn’t so?

A player who fits in perfectly no matter what roster movements Cleveland makes over the next two years because of his contract and versatility ….. or the selfish small shooting guard who can’t run an offense to save his life and who will become exponentially less valuable to the Cavs the minute they get a true second scoring option next to LeBron ….. a player who’ll become a problem the second that happens.

Now I gotta take on Mo Williams’ overpaid rear end for five years and $43mil!

Steve …. say it isn’t so?

It’s immaterial anyway because Denver were never going to let JR Smith leave town. Not without an 8 figure type of offer. He’s the reason they dumped Camby and he is their second most important player.

Steve I’m shocked at this. I couldn’t even form a proper rant for the first two hours …. this is how shocked I am.

If Cleveland had of signed JR Smith they would have been, at the least, on par with Boston. So C’s fans should be ecstatic that Cleveland didn’t manage to get Smith and ended up with Mo Williams instead.

LeBron and Smith would have been the leading 1-2 scoring combination in the wings in the entire NBA.

You can also hide Smith defensively a lot easier than Mo, Mo is too small so you have to leave him on the opposing point guard because he’ll get cooked by a bigger player. But JR, you can use LeBron as your stopper and put JR on the worst wing each night.

Ah Steve …. no Steve ….

The Donte Greene suggestion by arambone is a really good one. Greene would have been an excellent fit long term next to LeBron James.

I like JJ Hickson though. He has good potential for the future plus the Cavs big men (Wallace, Z, Joe) were all very old. Adding a youngster like him who likes physical play in the paint, who rebounds well and can finish is a very good piece for their future. Hickson put up 15ppg, 8.5rpg, 60% shooting in only 28 minutes a night as a freshmen in the ACC …. very interesting player. He’s got a lot going for him. Very good draft pick.

It’s a toss up in my mind.

Greene would have been excellent, that would have been nice to see. Imagine the lineups you could put out there, putting LeBron at shooting guard, that’s physically imposing. Or a fast run and gun lineup with those two at forwards around a center. So many great things could have happened with Donte Greene in Cleveland.

That’s a tough choice. Two excellent draft picks. I think Greene is the one who was safer, I think he’s more likely to fulfill the majority of his potential … it’s a toss up.

It’s a cliche, but it proves itself over and over. The reccuring issue you see on teams with a dominant player like Lebron or Kobe is that for stretches of every game, their teams stand around and watch them play.

Veterans like Mo Williams are less likely to do that, but the tendancy is fully ingrained in the team. Without a complimentary player that demands a similar amount of attention & respect on the court, I’m not sure how far ‘one man’ teams can ever go.

That trend was on display for stretches of the Cleveland series and the Finals with the Lakers. At points the players and coaching staff seemed to be content to watch their team go 1 on 5.

That said, I do like the Williams signing for Cle. as long as he’s playing PG. Lebron seems to get off his game when too many shots go up from the ‘other’ wing player.