Cavs need a confident Williams on the big stage

CLEVELAND -- Of all the plays that could spark a comeback by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the conference semifinals, the odds that it would be a dunk by Mo Williams were pretty slim. Infinitesimal, actually.

In 224 previous games with the Cavs, Williams had never dunked.

"I've never seen him dunk, ever," Anthony Parker said afterward. "Layup lines, on a dare, anything. I've never seen him dunk."

Parker's sister Candace, who was courtside to support both her brother and husband, Celtics reserve Shelden Williams, has probably dunked more times than the Cavs' point guard. But LeBron James told Williams once that if he ever dunked in a game, it would give the Cavs a huge lift.

James knew what he was talking about. The dunk was the first of four straight buckets for Williams and the start of a 21-9 run that essentially won Game 1 for the Cavs. It was a game-changer, and perhaps, a series changer, as it helped keep the Celtics from stealing home-court advantage.

But the impact of that dunk could have an even greater impact.

Shortly after his 8-for-14 performance on Saturday, Williams admitted that it means a lot to get off to a good start in this series.

"Game 1 sets the tone, individually and as a team," he said. "You obviously want to win Game 1 as a team, but individually you want to start off not playing catch up, as far as going to the film and try to figure out how would I get better."

That last part was a clear reference to Williams' struggles last May.

With apologies to the Chicago Bulls, the last time Williams was in a series this big and this intense, he came up small. In last year's conference finals against the Orlando Magic, Williams shot 37 percent from the field, while seemingly searching for answers out loud as he was surrounded by the media between every game.

Williams missed 13 of his 19 shots in Game 1 of that series and, though he predicted a series win the next day, never seemed to regain confidence in his own ability to put the ball in the basket. After the Cavs were eliminated, while James chose not to address the media, Williams sat at the Amway Arena podium and fell on his sword.

A little less than a year later, he's getting his shot at redemption. His regular season numbers were down from last year and he was inconsistent in the first round against the Bulls, but that means little for a team with its eyes on a championship. Williams' legacy in Cleveland will likely be determined in the next six weeks.

James is the best player in the world and now, the two-time MVP. But he's not going to win that first championship by himself. If Williams had just made a few more shots against the Magic, Cleveland's 45-year championship drought may have ended last year.

Since then, the Cavs have added more pieces to help ease James' burden, and Williams' burden too. Shaquille O'Neal gives them a stronger presence in the middle and Antawn Jamison gives them another guy who can give them 20 points on any given night.

But as the member of James' supporting cast that has the ball in his hands most, Williams' role is still critical. Those four straight buckets in Game 1 are proof of that.

After the game, Doc Rivers said that going into the series, Williams was "one of the guys you really have to have a focus on."

"[Game 1] has to help his confidence," Rivers added Sunday. "I don't know if [last season] carries over. I know if we guarded him better, it wouldn't matter."

"I don't think it was confidence," Williams had said of his dunk after the game. "My confidence was there. It's always there. It just gave me energy."

Confidence, energy, whatever you want to call it. The mentality of a basketball player can be a fragile thing, especially when he's playing at a higher level of competition than he's used to. A player's belief in self can be just as important his talent.

"As a player," Rivers said, "if you have a good game, especially if you've struggled [in the past], it definitely allows you to breathe. So now we may have to deal with that."

The Celtics also have to deal with a point guard who has more high-pressure games under his belt than he did a year ago.

"I think last year has definitely helped him this year, be more comfortable in situations with games," James said. "First round and now, the second round, he's more comfortable with himself. He's more comfortable with his role and being at a bigger stage."

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.