Mo Williams, Cavs Should Use This Year's All-Star Snub As Motivation

For the second straight year, Cleveland’s Mo Williams has been left on the outside looking in by opposing coaches voting for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Last year, Williams was shunned by coaches as a reserve for the game, despite averaging 17 points a game at the time selections were made. He was snubbed a second time when Commissioner David Stern tapped Boston’s Ray Allen to join the East squad in place of the injured Jameer Nelson.

It wasn’t until Toronto’s Chris Bosh was scratched for the game that Williams was finally named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

This year, Williams—with his nearly identical scoring average—was passed over by Eastern Conference coaches in favor of Boston’s Rajon Rondo and Chicago’s Derrick Rose. It’s not likely that he’ll be named a replacement should someone go down with an injury, given that he’s out for several more weeks with a sprained shoulder of his own.

Just as he did a year ago, Cleveland coach Mike Brown expressed frustration Thursday that Williams was left off of this year’s team. Brown’s argument is that the Cavaliers have the best record in the conference and should be rewarded accordingly.

LeBron James, the leading vote-getter in fan balloting, is Cleveland’s only All-Star. Brown’s frustration stems in part from the fact that Boston and Atlanta, the numbers two and three teams in the conference, have three and two representatives, respectively, on the team.

On the surface, Brown would appear to disagree with the selection of Rose over Williams. “There are talented guys in this business who can be put in situations to go do what they want,” he said . “There's not as much pressure on guys to perform the right way and get numbers."

Presumably, he means that Williams focuses more on the needs of the team and defers to James’ leadership and statistical prowess, both in points and assists. Williams also does those things for the best team in the East. Rose, on the other hand, is playing well for an average team.

Brown has a point, to a degree, but it’s hard to quibble with the selections of Rondo or Rose.

What’s more critical is that Williams uses this snub, which is likely not intentional but rather just a numbers game, as motivation for the rest of the season. The Cavs should do the same.

A year ago, Williams faded late in the season and didn’t play well in the conference finals loss to Orlando. He has spoken openly about that performance and returned to training camp last fall determined to learn from it and put it behind him.

There’s no question that Williams is a solid offensive complement to James. He’s a true second option and opens up the floor with his outside shooting.

Williams has also emerged as a floor general for the Cavaliers, averaging better than five assists a game. That’s not a gaudy number, but don’t forget that James, the unquestioned leader of the team, leads Cleveland in that category as well.

The talent is there with Williams, All-Star selections notwithstanding. Given that he was passed over again, he should allow that to motivate him the rest of the way—and use it as an incentive to put last year’s playoff failures behind him.

Likewise, the Cavaliers, faced with sending just one player to the All-Star game despite having the NBA’s best record, can use the snub of Williams as motivation for the entire team.

Opposing coaches have spoken; the consensus is that the Cavs are made up of LeBron James, and everybody else.

Fair enough. They should let their play do the talking the rest of the way. This could be just what the team needs to ensure a focused, take-no-prisoners approach down the stretch and into the postseason.