Cleveland Cavaliers: Mo Williams' Absence Weakens The Backcourt

With the recent announcement of Mo Williams‘ retirement, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now left with a crucial void in their backcourt.

Besides the pending return of J.R. Smith, the possibility of Mo Williams’ retirement has been an issue plaguing the team. But a tweet by Williams indicating that he would stay for another year became a sigh of relief for the team’s front office.

It was only days later when the media was informed by Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin that Mo Williams will be retiring.

Williams obviously had a change of mind. Before his retirement was announced, he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he “didn’t want to put the Cavs in a situation where [they didn’t have a] guy [who] could come in and play 5-10 minutes that could help them win and be a difference.”

The Cavaliers now have that very same problem to solve. Without Williams, the Cavs are forced to rely on rookie Kay Felder and Jordan McRae as backup point guards. LeBron James could also play in that position.

But with the recent news of Tyronn Lue limiting James’ minutes, it is unlikely that James would bear the responsibility of the backcourt.

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Felder, a rookie of Oakland Univeristy, had an impressive performance in NBA Summer League. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. His ball-handling skills, ability to take advantage of the paint, and easy jumper are what makes him an essential point guard.

However, it is unclear of what he will do in the NBA. It would be very premature to equate his success in Summer League with probable success on a real NBA court.

Jordan McRae, who came from the D-League, also had a stellar performance in Summer League. He averaged 24.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. McRae was even named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team.

Additionally, McRae scored a career-high of 36 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a 112-110 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons last season. That performance impressed the Cavaliers and McRae was eventually signed to a deal. But McRae is not really reliable to handle the point guard position either. He only averaged about 8.9 minutes per game last season.

Thus, there is a huge void in the team’s backcourt that is hard to fill. Kyrie Irving could assume a larger responsibility this season. But that will be difficult, especially when Tyronn Lue wants to limit his minutes as well. The backcourt position should not be heavily depended on a former D-League player and a rookie.

The best idea for the Cavaliers would be for them to acquire another player to fill those shoes. It’s the best plan for them to continue their reign as defending champions, and the team is already pursuing that option. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers have contacted Kirk Heinrich, Norris Cole, and Mario Chalmers:

This, however, will also be tough due to the Cavaliers’ issues with their salary cap. This makes the J.R. Smith situation even more difficult.

Next: NBA Predictions: 2016-17 Win Projections For All 30 Teams

If the Cavaliers do not find a replacement for the Mo Williams, it is unlikely that they will be as successful as they were last season.

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Cleveland Cavaliers: Mo Williams’ Absence Weakens The Backcourt

By Deasia Paige | Oct 1, 2016

With the recent announcement of Mo Williams‘ retirement, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now left with a crucial void in their backcourt.