With the Cleveland Cavaliers getting star point guard Kyrie Irving back recently, the team has had far fewer opportunities for Mo Williams. Williams, who was signed during the off-season has been relegated to the end of the bench with guards J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellavedova all getting the majority of minutes alongside and behind Irving. That may have resulted in some bad mood from the veteran point guard.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Williams has recently exhibited some troubling behavior:
If there was anything to be concerned about with Saturday’s outing, it was seeing Mo Williams report to the locker room just 63 minutes before tipoff and then being late to join his teammates, if he joined them at all, as they got up off the bench and onto their feet to cheer several plays as Cleveland built its big lead.
This quote refers to the Cavaliers’ blowout win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
The Cavs do not necessarily need Williams to have much success this season. However, if an injury occurs, having a veteran who had plenty of success in Irving’s absence can be a huge luxury. Williams behavior, however, paints a disturbing image for the Cavs. With the team having not completely clicked just yet despite their solid record, they need an all-team effort to create the kind of team that can win a championship.
Clearly, we do not know everything about the story. There may have been a completely unrelated reason for Williams arriving late and not celebrating with teammates. The Cavaliers have not mentioned anything about the subject. However, it is something to think about as the Cavs continue their pursuit to winning their first title.
