Alabama’s Mo Williams still plays a key role in the Cavs’ NBA championship run
Mo Williams contributes to the Cavs on the court and on the bench. (NBA Photos)
Mo Williams has averaged a little less than six minutes per game this postseason while averaging a career playoff-low of 1.6 points per game. The numbers would say that Williams has reached the end of his professional road.
But don’t be fooled. The 33-year-old who starred at the University of Alabama for two seasons from 2001 to 2003 has plenty of gas left in the tank. Williams’ limited minutes are merely a byproduct of Kyrie Irving’s return to health and sensational postseason play, rather than a steep decline in his own skills.
An All-Star point guard with the Cavs in 2009, Williams is what every championship team needs: an intelligent, seasoned vet who can step in at a moment’s notice and provide steady play while leading by example. He has started 525 games over 12 years and averaged 14.2 points and 6.2 assists in 68 games while splitting last season between the Charlotte Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Williams has played for seven NBA teams and averaged 13.2 points and 4.9 assists since leaving Alabama, where he started every game as a freshman and led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated home record, the Southeastern Conference regular season championship and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore.
Many thought he’d made a terrible mistake when he declared early for the NBA Draft, especially considering that no one had him on their first round draft boards. But Williams, after being selected in the second round in 2003 with the 47th overall pick, made the Utah Jazz final roster, averaging 13.5 minutes in 57 games as a rookie.
His big break came during his second year. After being released by the Jazz and signed by the Milwaukee Bucks, he started 80 games while filling in for injured starter T.J. Ford. Williams’ career took off from there.
Last year, as the Hornets chased a playoff berth, Williams looked like everything but an aging veteran whose better days were behind him, especially after a four-game winning streak in early March where he averaged close to 20 points and 11 assists en route to being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
As this year’s Cavaliers squad looks to be the strongest ever while LeBron James has been in Cleveland, there’s a strength that lies beneath the stat sheet. And that lies in the voice of someone like Williams, who has been through a veritable lifetime of NBA wars. He’s someone who Irving can go to for some sage advice, a former All-Star who still has plenty to give, either as a practice player or off the bench in a reserve role.
Take a look at the sidelines during the NBA Finals when the Cavs go up against the Golden State Warriors beginning Thursday night. You’ll see Williams exhorting, coaching and talking to Irving, telling him things like how to be patient, how to pick his spots and when and if he should pump the offense’s brakes or slam on the accelerator.
This is Williams’ second go-around with James, and he knows how much this championship would mean, not only to King James and the city, but also to his own legacy.
With Irving injured in the season opener, Williams started the game while contributing 19 points and seven assists against the Bulls. But with his minutes and role now drastically reduced because of Irving’s resurgence, don’t discount what Williams adds in value.
In every playoff series, there’s always a bench player who makes an unforeseen contribution that helps a team win a title. Williams, with his proven ability to lead, pass and spread the floor with his long-range marksmanship, could fit the bill.
Alejandro Danois is a senior writer and editor with The Shadow League. The former senior editor of Bounce Magazine, he is also a freelance sports and entertainment writer whose work has been published by The New York Times, Sporting News, Baltimore Sun, The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, SLAMonline and Ebony Magazine, among many others.
