INDEPENDENCE — Media members were instructed to arrive at Cleveland Clinic Courts at 1:15 p.m. Monday for interviews with Cavaliers players and coaches.
Mo Williams, the guy everyone wanted to talk to because Cleveland will host his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, tonight at 7, didn’t finish his extra shooting drills until 3 p.m.
“Sorry, big game tomorrow,” a smiling Williams quipped when he finally greeted the assembled masses.
The point guard then spent the next 10 minutes insisting there was nothing special at all about playing against the Bucks, who traded him to Cleveland in a three-team deal in the offseason.
“I don’t have any bitter feelings toward Milwaukee,” he said. “All my memories there are great. The organization was definitely great to me. I have a lot of friends there and I have a lot of respect for the organization.
“They gave me my contract. Never bite the hand that feeds you. I have no hard feelings. It will be fun. It will take me back to practice (with the Bucks) — killing them in practice.”
The contract to which Williams referred was a six-year, $51.5 million deal signed before the start of last season, which turned out to be his fourth and final season in Milwaukee. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder earned his money in 2007-08, averaging 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists, but was dealt to Cleveland in the offseason.
Asked why, Williams smiled again and said: “I think I’m good. I’m a pretty good player. For business reasons, they traded me. I’m a young player and I’m only going to get better. I don’t think it was because I started diminishing in my game or something.”
The Cavaliers, who had been seeking a quality point guard since LeBron James arrived as a rookie in 2003, were only too happy to acquire the 25-year-old Williams, especially since it cost them only a player who wasn’t in their plans at all in Damon Jones, who is being paid by Milwaukee but was told not to report to camp, and a solid but aging big man in Joe Smith, who is averaging eight points in 22 minutes a night for Oklahoma City.
Williams, one of the more affable and talkative players on a laid-back Cleveland roster, was equally pleased to be joining the Cavaliers, who reached the NBA Finals in 2007 and lost to eventual champion Boston in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals a season ago.
“I’m in a great situation,” Williams said. “I’m having the best time of my life. Every night, I’m having fun.
“It was sad to go, but at the same time, I’m happy where I’m at. I don’t have any bitter feelings. It’s another ballgame.”
While the Bucks (3-4) are rebuilding and attempting to craft a tougher team under coach Scott Skiles — “They play harder than we did last year, that’s for sure,” Williams said — the Cavaliers (5-2) have a four-game winning streak and designs on capturing the first championship in the franchise’s 39-year history.
Williams is expected to be a big part of that championship puzzle. Though he’s still struggling to find his shooting touch from the field (.425 overall, 9-of-27 on 3-pointers), the sixth-year pro is perfect on 16 free throw attempts and averaging 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 34.3 minutes a game.
Even more important, he’s fit in well on a team where James is the undisputed star, so pardon Williams for feeling like he has nothing to prove to the Bucks.
“There’s no rivalry between me and Milwaukee,” he said. “We’ve got a bigger goal.
“We’re at home, and we want to beat the teams we’re supposed to beat. Milwaukee just happens to be one of them.”

Tip-ins

James was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the 14th time in his six-year career. He averaged an NBA-high 34.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in helping Cleveland go 4-0. The 6-8, 250-pounder had two games of 40-plus points against Chicago and 39 in a win over Dallas.
• After not getting outrebounded in their first five games, the Cavaliers have lost the battle of the boards in their last two (44-30 vs. Indiana and 38-36 vs. Chicago). Of more concern, they allowed 36 offensive rebounds over those two games (19 vs. Indiana, 17 vs. Chicago).
• Ohio State product Michael Redd leads Milwaukee in scoring at 21.3, but he’s missed three games this season and is currently day-to-day with a sprained ankle. Richard Jefferson is averaging 18.3 points.
• Luke Ridnour, the point guard the Bucks acquired from Oklahoma City in the Williams deal, is starting again after missing two games with back spasms. He’s averaging 9.4 points and 6.2 assists.
• Ramon Sessions, who is now living in the condo Williams occupied in Milwaukee, started when Ridnour was out. He’s averaging 17.2 points and 6.2 assists for the season.
Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rickn@ohio.net.

TONIGHT

WHO: Cleveland vs. Milwaukee
TIME: 7 o’clock
WHERE: The Q
TV/RADIO: FSN Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

 

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