It took "one of the top 5 shooters in the world" and a former number one draft pick, but the Cavaliers were able to land guard Mo Williams, whom the Cavaliers believe can score consistently, help run the offense, and bring speed back to the perimeter defense. He will likely take the starting point guard position from restricted free agent Delonte West, who is currently negotiating a new contract. While Damon Jones could hit clutch shots and was better than his play showed during his time with the team, Williams offers a better all-around game and, unlike Jones, should be a fixture in the lineup. However, the Cavs need to make sure to keep Williams healthy, as he has only played 80 regular season games once (57, 58, 68, and 66 were his games played totals for his other 4 NBA seasons). Also, the departure of forward-center Joe Smith puts pressure on Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson to play consistently on both sides of the court.
If the Cavaliers can sign Delonte West, they should have a pretty good guard rotation going. Quite possibly, West will start at the shooting guard (which he played more frequently than point guard in college at Saint Joseph's) alongside Mo Williams, with Daniel Gibson serving as their top backup. Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak, and Tarence Kinsey would also be available substitutes for Williams, West, and LeBron James. Most likely, Eric Snow will either retire or be kept on the inactive list for the bulk of the season. If teams are interested and moves are needed to help improve the team, West and Pavlovic are both tradable players while Snow and Szczerbiak represent 'expiring contracts' (which also makes them tradable). Below is a possible opening night roster.
Starting Lineup
PF Ben Wallace
SF LeBron James
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
SG Delonte West
PG Mo Williams
Bench
G Daniel Gibson
F/C Anderson Varejao
G/F Sasha Pavlovic
G/F Wally Szczerbiak
F J.J. Hickson
F Darnell Jackson (note: currently unsigned draft pick)
G Tarence Kinsey
Inactive List
G Eric Snow
G Billy Thomas
C Lance Allred
If the Cavaliers can sign Delonte West, they should have a pretty good guard rotation going. Quite possibly, West will start at the shooting guard (which he played more frequently than point guard in college at Saint Joseph's) alongside Mo Williams, with Daniel Gibson serving as their top backup. Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak, and Tarence Kinsey would also be available substitutes for Williams, West, and LeBron James. Most likely, Eric Snow will either retire or be kept on the inactive list for the bulk of the season. If teams are interested and moves are needed to help improve the team, West and Pavlovic are both tradable players while Snow and Szczerbiak represent 'expiring contracts' (which also makes them tradable). Below is a possible opening night roster.
Starting Lineup
PF Ben Wallace
SF LeBron James
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
SG Delonte West
PG Mo Williams
Bench
G Daniel Gibson
F/C Anderson Varejao
G/F Sasha Pavlovic
G/F Wally Szczerbiak
F J.J. Hickson
F Darnell Jackson (note: currently unsigned draft pick)
G Tarence Kinsey
Inactive List
G Eric Snow
G Billy Thomas
C Lance Allred