Mo Williams Out At Least A Month, Testing Cavaliers' Depth And Resolve

Injuries are a part of sports, and the bug is finally biting the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The team announced Thursday afternoon that point guard Mo Williams will miss four to six weeks with a sprained left shoulder.

It’s a blow to the Cavs, who will miss Williams’ offensive productivity. The seven-year pro was averaging 17 points and five assists per game and is the team’s second threat on offense.

Williams injured the shoulder when he attempted a steal in the third quarter of Cleveland’s win over Toronto Tuesday night. He returned from the locker room to hit a key three-pointer, but an MRI this week revealed the seriousness of the injury.

The double whammy for the Cavs is that Williams is relegated to the sidelines just as they prepare to play the Lakers. Williams torched Los Angeles for a team-high 28 points the last time these two teams played, in a 102-87 Cleveland win on Christmas Day.

With Williams out, Delonte West will take over at the point. Daniel Gibson, whose court time has dwindled as Williams, West and Anthony Parker have played the majority of minutes at guard, will return to the rotation.

But Gibson may not be the only one Mike Brown turns to for more minutes. Don't be surprised if LeBron James, the team's assists leader, sees time in the backcourt and reserves like Jawad Williams and, when he returns, Jamario Moon slide into the small forward position.

It’s a major test for Cleveland at an important part of the season. Apart from losing Moon for three weeks to an abdominal strain, the Cavs have been healthy this year. The loss of Williams will disrupt their offense and alter Brown’s substitution pattern.

At the same time, Brown will finally find out exactly what he has in West, who lost his starting job in the preseason because of the unpredictability of his personal demons.

West has been productive coming off the bench. Now the Cavs will see how he handles the increased responsibility and greater expectations of being an NBA starter once again.

We’ve said here before that the Cavaliers’ depth would make them a serious threat to win a title this season. That depth will be seriously tested over the next several weeks.