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Stallworth's contract terminated
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Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
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Five local gridders to play in Big33
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Law, Love and Chocolate
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Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
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Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
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Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
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OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Mo Williams' addition helps team change stats from naughty to nice
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Dec 19, 2008
DENVER: Point guard Mo Williams wishes he could take credit for it, and coach Mike Brown is all too willing to give it to him.
The ''it'' is the improvement in the Cavaliers' free-throw shooting — an aspect of the team's overall game that used to be a bane.
Just last season, the Cavs shot a less-than-stellar 72 percent from the free-throw line.
This year, that number is up to 78 percent.
''We never really talked about free throws in the past and we don't really talk about free throws now,'' Brown said. ''For the most part, every day we practice, we make 40 free throws before we leave. So that's not much different from what we did last year.''
What is different from then to now is the key addition of Williams, a lifetime 85 percent shooter from the free-throw line who is near 95 percent this season.
''When you see Mo go up there and go 26-of-28, or whatever he is, it gives you added confidence,'' Brown said. ''When you bring a guy like Mo in and you have a guy like Delonte [West] and Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the floor, those are some pretty good free-throw shooters, so it gets pretty contagious.''
If consistent free-throw shooting is a disease, then the one who has caught it big time is LeBron James.
Coming into this year, James held a career 73 percent free-throw average, now it's at the 80 percent level, the number that's always been his personal goal.
''I wanted to shoot 80 percent from the free-throw line. I knew I was a better free-throw shooter than what I did in my first five years,'' James said.
So what is the difference in this year?
''I just locked down and try to challenge myself. Every time I go up there, I think of it as a game-winning shot. If the game was on the line, I'd go up there and make them, but I always kind of started off bad.''
That's the reason that Williams isn't eager to take credit for the change.
He sees how hard his teammates work, including James.
''I think guys are just focusing more. LeBron especially is shooting the ball very well from the free-throw line, but he's focusing on his free throws a whole lot more,'' he said. ''So I wouldn't say I'm the reason. Maybe they'll say it to give me some love, but I wouldn't say it.''
But even he recognizes that leading by example can work wonders in a team setting.
''I didn't stay after practice and work with anybody. In some shape or form, it's true — it's contagious,'' he said.
''When things go well, when teams shoot the ball well, it just seems like it spreads around. If I did help, I'm going to try not to miss any more this year.''
Injury update
Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is listed as doubtful for tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him at least in uniform. Ilgauskas said he went through a full practice Thursday at Denver's Pepsi Center and ''felt good'' afterward. . . . Daniel Gibson is officially out for the game.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
DENVER: Point guard Mo Williams wishes he could take credit for it, and coach Mike Brown is all too willing to give it to him.
Get the full article here.
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