The Cavs weren't happy the first time Mo Williams was left off the All-Star team, but now that he's been passed over twice (Boston's Ray Allen was named Jameer Nelson's injury replacement), they're so mad they're speaking in tongues. Or something.
From Brian Windhorst:
"Ben Wallace was right when he called Mo originally being passed over for the All-Star Game a 'shamockery,' " said Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert in an e-mailed statement. "But not naming him as the natural and obvious replacement for the unfortunately injured Jameer Nelson is stupidiculous, idillogical and preposterageous."OK, so Gilbert is obviously having a little fun, but the fact that he actually released a statement about this shows his disappointment. I've never subscribed to the idea that a team with a winning record "deserves" multiple All-Stars, and as I explained before, I'm not convinced Williams is actually All-Star material -- his numbers are almost identical to what he's put up the last two years when he wasn't even in the conversation.
Allen, for what it's worth, took the high road:
"I don't think it's about fairness. It's such an unbalanced equation when you're talking about the All-Star Game and who is in it, what are the stipulations and how it's put together," Allen told reporters in Boston. "If this were Mo Williams they were talking about, I would be happy for him the same. It wouldn't make a difference. He's had a deserved year of making the All-Star team. So hopefully he has a shot again next year."I spoke with several of the Cavs last weekend, and according to Ben Wallace, Mo will have an excellent chance next year. "That's one of the things that usually [happens] -- a lot of people end up making the year after they should have made it," Wallace said. "It should just give you motivation to go out there and play a little bit harder."
We'll have to wait and see. None of the current All-Star guards (sans Allen Iverson) are in serious decline, and by next season we'll likely have to include Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose and Rodney Stuckey in the conversation. But still, if this truly does motivate Williams to improve, his being snubbed now won't be such a bad thing after all.
