Williams steps up for Cavaliers
Acquired late in season, veteran guard makes adjustment to coming off bench
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Deron Williams eluded one defender with a shot fake and fooled Indiana Pacers forward Paul George into thinking he would pass the ball to LeBron James, creating a clear path to the basket for an easy layup.
It was two of the 12 points Williams scored in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 106-102 seriesclinching victory in Game 4 on Sunday.
“Without him, we wouldn’t have won that game,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.
At the right time, the Cavs have received high-quality production from Williams, whom they signed after the Dallas Mavericks waived him in late February following the trade deadline. He averaged 8.3 points against Indiana, shooting an efficient 76.9% from the field, including 77.8% on three-pointers.
“Every day he’s more comfortable with what we want to do,” James said. “He’s more and more comfortable with his ability and getting back to DWill. He’s got that right-to-left crossover. He’s pulling up on threes off pick-and-rolls with no hesitation. He’s getting to the rim. He’s given us a huge boost.
“We needed him, and we’re happy we have him.”
Williams struggled to find his role shortly after joining the Cavs but is showing glimpses of the All- Star he once was, giving Cleveland the playmaker it sought for much of the season.
“I feel I can help out in different ways,” Williams said after scoring 14 points off the bench in Game 4. “I’m just here to help. When my name is called, just go in there and contribute by making solid plays and not making mistakes.”
Williams was a key contributor in Cleveland’s 119-114 Game 3 victory in which the Cavs erased a 26-point deficit. Though he scored only five points, Williams played the final 16 minutes, 17 seconds and was a plus-23 during that span.
In the playoffs, Williams is part of a potent offensive lineup that includes James, Kyle Korver, Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert. With those five on the court, the Cavaliers scored 141.1 points per 100 possessions against the Pacers. It’s a small sample size, but the point remains: That group can score.
“Just play with a good pace, a good tempo,” Williams said. “We move the ball around. We play solid team defense. The main thing is the ball is moving. We don’t get stagnant. There’s not a lot of one-on-one going. It’s just a great brand of basketball.”
Williams has been a starting point guard for most his NBA career.
And not simply a starter, but a high-quality playmaker at the point, a three-time All- Star, twotime All-NBA second-team performer and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
He started 40 of 40 games for the Mavericks this season until the sides reached a buyout after the February trade deadline. He signed with Cleveland and became a backup, an unfamiliar role that required a fresh approach.
“It was an adjustment,” Williams said. “Anytime you go to another team, it’s going to be an adjustment. Add that it’s the defending champs, and there’s a lot of pressure. It was a different sit- uation for me than I’ve been in in my career — coming off the bench, playing short minutes, trying to figure out how to stay confident and be aggressive and sometimes not having the ball in your hands.”
Making things more tricky, the Cavs were 10-14 from the time Williams joined them through the end of the regular season.
“I’ve had a bit over two months now — definitely adjusted and figuring things out,” Williams said.
From Jan. 26 until joining the Cavs on March 1, Williams was limited to three games because of injury and the All-Star break.
“When he came to us, he was out of game shape,” Lue said. “He’s been working every day trying to get in shape, doing extra every day. Now, he’s in better shape.”