Oct 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams (52) shoots a free throw in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
#4: Mo Williams
Mo Williams came into the league 46 picks after LeBron James entered the league, selected by the Utah Jazz. There were not many believers in Williams out of the gate and he was ultimately released following his rookie season before catching on with the Milwaukee Bucks for four seasons.
He was traded in August 2008 to the Cavs and immediately became a fan favorite. Williams had a fantastic year during his first season with the team, earning a nod in the All-Star game, the only time he did so in his career, while also shooting a career high in 3-point percentage.
The Cavaliers finished with the best record in the NBA and in franchise history, setting a 66-16 mark. Williams’ play was a huge reason why; he was the second best player on the team and the best backcourt player LeBron had played with to that point in his career.
Unfortunately, Williams could not help return the franchise to the finals as they lost one round short to the Orlando Magic.
The following season, it was much of the same. Williams played well and LeBron was LeBron. The team finished first in the eastern conference for the second year in a row, but disappointed in the playoffs again. This time it was against Boston’s big three, a series loss that changed the fortunes of this entire franchise.
As we all know now, LeBron would go on and take his talents to South Beach during the offseason to form his own big three. It put the whole roster in a bit of a flux. Williams was linked to trade rumors despite adamantly wanting to remain with the team. In the end, Williams was traded before the deadline in February, 2011, in exchange for Baron Davis and a first round pick.
That first round pick changed everything because it wound up being the first pick in the draft which turned into superstar Kyrie Irving. If that trade does not happen, Irving never becomes a Cavalier and who knows whether LeBron ends up returning to Cleveland.
Now, Williams has returned to the team for the 2015-16 season and figures to be an integral part in Cleveland’s season as the backup point guard to Irving. Though not as dynamic and explosive as he was during his first stint, Williams will prove to be just what the Cavs wanted from their backup.
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