Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 biggest steals in Cavs draft history
By Ryan Piers
1. John ‘Hot Rod’ Williams
Selected late — 45th in second round of the 1985 NBA Draft — Hot Rod Williams means more to the Cavs than his numbers reflect. Although, they reflect a lot.
Williams spent his first professional year playing in the United States Basketball League, as opposed to the NBA. He was under indictment on point-shaving allegations while in college and ineligible to sign with an NBA team. The indictment contributed to his draft stock plummeting.
He eventually signed with the Cavs after the charges were dropped. A messy situation followed as the prosecution appealed to have the charges reinstated.
He ended up lasting more than a decade in Cleveland providing defensive security during one of the franchise’s most successful eras.
Often overlooked by the Bulls, Lakers and Pistons, the Cavaliers were one of the league’s best teams in the late 80s and early 90s. Hot Rod is in major part to thank.
Prior to his arrival, the Cavs won 45-plus games just once in the team’s nearly two-decade history. It did so four times while Hot Rod was in town, advancing to the playoffs in seven of his nine years with the team.
Most basketball fans remember Mark Price and Brad Daugherty from this Cavs era. But Hot Rod was always near the top of the team in points and rebounds. He also might have been their best defender.
Hot Rod’s most impressive numbers came in 1988-89, when he averaged 16.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. That was the “Jordan over Ehlo” season, something else most basketball fans remember about that Cavs era.
On a team with the lumbering Daugherty and the perimeter-oriented price, Hot Rod added spice. His put-backs were thunderous. He embarrassed the best of the NBA big men, including Charles Barkley, with dizzying spin moves in the above highlight reel.
Williams outlasted his most notable teammates — Daugherty and Ron Harper — helping usher in a younger era of Cavaliers players in the mid-90s. He’s probably a big reason why those teams led by an inexperienced Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill were so successful.
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Williams died of cancer in 2015. He was just 53. His impact on Cleveland basketball was huge as player — not bad for the 45th pick in the second round of the 1985 NBA Draft.