Why The Cleveland Cavaliers Should Keep Jamison & Varejao and Trade Mo Williams

Nearly every article written about the Cavaliers in the off-season predicted that they would be the worst team in the NBA this season.

However, after the Cavaliers’ stunning opening night win over the Boston Celtics, Cavaliers fans began sticking out our collective tongues in the face of all those who predicted gloom and doom for this season and beyond.

Sure, it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Celtics—who were clearly exhausted from playing in one of the most anticipated opening night games in history against LeBron James and the Miami Heat—but in the painful aftermath of “The Decision,” any glimmer of hope was reason for celebration.

Unfortunately, after a somewhat decent first month to the season, the Cavaliers hit a major skid in the aftermath of the game in which LeBron James and the Miami Heat returned to Cleveland and dominated the Cavaliers in front of a nationally televised audience.

During the month of December, the Cavaliers only won one game. Despite Byron Scott’s constant tinkering and adjustments, the team’s play has not improved significantly.

To be fair, there are small signs of progress, such as the play of Manny Harris and Christian Eyenga. The Cavaliers have also been hit hard by injuries to the team’s best players, such as Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson.

Despite this, the Cavaliers’ recent play made it clear that life after LeBron may be as painful as predicted, and even the most optimistic and hopeful Cavaliers fans have had to come to grips with the fact that moves must be made in order to ensure that the team does not enter a prolonged period of futility.

Many pundits have the Cavaliers trading various combinations of Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams, and Antawn Jamison. To paraphrase a line from LeBron’s infamous commercial, “What should the Cavaliers do?”

The Cavaliers should trade Mo Williams. I love Mo’s heart and determination. I also love his long-range shooting ability.

However, I am sure that I’ll love the draft picks that Cleveland will receive in exchange for Mo from a team looking to upgrade its guard play for the playoffs.

Why should Mo go? At a time when the Cavaliers are in desperate need of stability, Mo’s play this season has been wildly inconsistent.

Furthermore, he’s been injury-plagued from the start of the season, and anyone who can remember the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic can recall the dramatic impact that injuries have on Mo’s game.

Mo also doesn’t play much defense and is somewhat undersized, a problem that is exacerbated when he is paired with Daniel Gibson in the backcourt.

The Cavaliers have a strong nucleus of young guards on the roster, and Mo’s presence is preventing the Cavaliers from evaluating players like Manny Harris and Ramon Sessions in order to see if they can be integral parts of the team going forward.

The Cavaliers would do well to trade Williams soon before his trade value drops.

The Cavaliers should keep Antawn Jamison. Many pundits think that Jamison is as good as gone from the Cavaliers. I disagree.

Assuming the Cavaliers trade away Mo Williams, who will be left to score points and lead the team?

Anthony Parker? Anyone who watched Parker try to handle the scoring load in the fourth quarter a few games back should realize that plan would be a gigantic failure.

Daniel Gibson? Although the talented and passionate Gibson has dramatically improved his game this season, Gibson is only in his first full season as a starter.

If Jamison is dealt, the Cavaliers would become nothing short of unwatchable. People thought last season’s Nets team was the epitome of futility, but at least they had Devin Harris and Brook Lopez to provide some appearance of legitimacy.

The Cavaliers need some semblance of veteran leadership and consistent nightly scoring ability, and Jamison provides both.

Barring an unforeseen improvement in play, the Cavaliers will be receiving a high pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, so it’s not like Jamison’s presence on the roster will lead to several wins and send the Cavaliers to the middle of the draft lottery.

Jamison has one year remaining on his deal, and if the Cavaliers are able to acquire some talent that can handle the scoring load next season through the draft, trades, and free agency, Jamison will possess a coveted expiring contract and be even more attractive as trade bait during the 2011-2012 season.

The Cavaliers should keep Anderson Varejao. Andy is the only reliable big man on the roster. While he’s not the most offensively talented guy on the team, his offensive play is light years ahead of where it was when he first came to Cleveland.

More importantly, he scraps and hustles on every play and makes an impact that never shows up on the stat sheet.

Additionally, he’s a fan favorite, and with the Cavaliers struggling to maintain fan interest and fill seats in the post-LeBron era, trading away one of the most popular players on the team would be a bad move. At only 28 years of age, Varejao should remain on the Cavaliers’ roster for years to come.

Although the Cavaliers are presently experiencing a rough patch, a few smart moves will help the team get back on the right track and return to contention in the weak Eastern Conference.

Dan Gilbert and Chris Grant have exhibited sound judgment in the post-LeBron era, and I am confident that they will continue to make the moves necessary to allow the Cavaliers to return to the playoffs in the near future.