Point guard play makes a big difference
Mo Williams is giving Cavs what some teams lack — consistency
 Paul Beaty / AP Cleveland point guard Mo Williams, acquired in August from Milwaukee, "is taking some of the pressure off of LeBron (James)," according to Cavs coach Mike Brown. |
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"He is doing exactly what we asked of him," Brown said of his new point guard, acquired in August. "He is pushing the ball when we need to and he is taking some of the pressure off of LeBron (James)."
The result has been exactly what Brown had hoped. The Cavaliers, having spent so long running a watching-the-paint-dry offense, are suddenly scoring. They average 99.6 points entering Tuesday's play, good for ninth in the league, which may not seem like much until you consider that they were 24th last year and 19th the previous season.
Williams has been a nice addition and has been especially valuable at a time when point guard play — especially with Utah's Deron Williams out and, now, San Antonio's Tony Parker, too — seems to be adrift in the NBA. Baron Davis has struggled. The Suns have rolled back Steve Nash's minutes. There is Chris Paul, and already, Chauncey Billups has looked good in Denver.
But there are precious few point guards playing at a high level now. Have a look at a team-by-team ranking breakdown:
1. L.A. Lakers. Jordan Farmar and Derek Fisher fill roles perfectly.
2. Boston. Rajon Rondo is hitting 53.2 percent of his shots.
3. Atlanta. Typical Mike Bibby: 14.2 points, 37.9 3-point shooting.
4. Utah. Brevin Knight and Ronnie Price have combined for 64 assists, 22 turnovers.
5. Cleveland. Mo's been worth it.
6. New Orleans. Chris Paul, say no more.
7. Phoenix. More rest, slower pace make Steve Nash's numbers pedestrian.
8. Detroit. Do they start Allen Iverson at point or ask him to come off the bench?
9. Denver. In first two games with Billups, the Nugs got to the line 85 times.
10. Indiana. T.J. Ford has been a terrific fit with Jim O'Brien.
11. Houston. Aaron Brooks is far outplaying starter Rafer Alston.
12. Orlando. Awful start for Jameer Nelson.
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13. Portland. Steve Blake does his job -- make 3s, don't make mistakes.
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14. Miami. Mario Chalmers should have been drafted higher.
15. Toronto. Jose Calderon will be an All-Star.
16. New York. Chris Duhon's defense and leadership have fit nicely.
17. Philadelphia. Andre Miller shot 7-for-24 the other night.
18. Chicago. Derrick Rose has been huge, but losing Kirk Hinrich hurts.
19. Milwaukee. A matter of time before Ramon Sessions replaces Luke Ridnour.
20. Dallas. Jason Kidd has his shot working.
21. Sacramento. Every significant stat has dropped for Beno Udrih.
22. Charlotte. Ray Felton is shooting 48.2 percent.
23. Memphis. None of the Grizzlies' 13 point guards is playing well.
24. San Antonio. Let's hope you're ready, George Hill.
25. Golden State. It's a steep drop from Baron Davis to C.J. Watson.
26. Minnesota. Giving Sebastian Telfair a try. Why not?
27. New Jersey. Sprained ankle keeping Devin Harris out.
28. Oklahoma City. Dump Earl Watson, get Russell Westbrook in.
29. L.A. Clippers. Not much is working for Davis these days.
30. Washington. Antonio Daniels may not have much usefulness left.
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