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In mid-August, the Cavaliers brought in what they hope is the final piece that can get them back to the NBA Finals, trading for point guard Mo Williams from Milwaukee. Cleveland already is one of the top defensive teams in the league, but the hope was that Williams' ability to score and push the tempo would boost the Cavaliers' often dull offense. So far, Cleveland is off to a 6-2 start and is averaging 99.5 points per game, which would be the most the Cavs have scored since 1993-94. Sporting News Today's Sean Deveney talked with Williams about his new role.
SN: You've gone through training camp, through the first few games of this season. Are you feeling like a Cleveland Cavalier yet?
MW: Definitely. I am past the introduction stage now. I just have to play with these guys a little more, and the more I do, the more comfortable we'll all be.
SN: It seems like you were brought here to give the offense a boost. You're not scoring as much now, but the team is up around 100 points per game.
MW: My scoring is probably going to go down, but in this situation, that is not a bad thing. This team has a lot of weapons. If we can keep scoring and keep playing defense the way we can play it, good things are going to happen.
SN: Helps to have LeBron James on your side, too.
MW: He takes a lot of pressure off you. If someone is not having a good night, he can step in and take over when he needs to. For those of us around him, our job is just to go out and keep playing hard on both ends of the floor.
SN: You've got to be ready to settle down a lot. Seems like you have played for a lot of coaches.
MW: Six years in the league, six coaches. Six different systems. Just about every year, it's been something new.
SN: Yeah, it's six if you count Scott Skiles before the trade. That's a lot of adjustments.
MW: It is hard to explain how tough that is in this league because it means a different playbook every year. Being with a coach who is stable, that would be good for me. I am pretty sure Mike (Brown) will be around here for a while. I am pretty sure the core of this team will be together for a while.
SN: You're an Alabama guy, of course. How excited are you about the football team?
MW: How excited? We're No. 1. Hell yeah, I am excited. This is going to be a national championship team.
Mo Williams has been a huge addition to the Cavaliers. Even though the jump-shot hasn't started to fall the way I am sure it will Mo has brought stability to the offense, especially when LeBron is off the floor.