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History has shown that it takes more than one great player to garner an NBA title. Even the most revered of NBA superstars have had an accomplished scorer alongside them in their run to the Finals.

Jordan had Pippen. Bird had McHale. Magic had Kareem.

For LeBron James, that someone needs to be Mo Wiliams.

When Williams was traded to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2008 he was expected to be the number two option the team desperately needed. The Cavs were coming off of a season in which their second-leading scorer, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, averaged just 14.1 points per game. The result was added pressure on James, who scored a league-high 30 points per game during the 2007-08 season.

With too much thrown on the shoulders of the team’s top scorer, the Cavs were ousted in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the eventual champion Celtics, leading to the acquisition of the 6-1 point guard.

Last season, in his first campaign with the Cavaliers, Williams quickly became the second-option to James. As the team rolled to a franchise-record 66 regular-season victories, Williams averaged 17.8 points and earned a spot on the All-Star team alongside James. It seemed as if the duo was destined to lead the Cavaliers to the 2009 NBA Title.

After sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs against the Pistons and Hawks, respectively, the Cavs earned a matchup with the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Facing an opponent with an abundance of weapons, the Cavaliers needed their point guard to have a memorable series.

Williams, playing in his first ever Conference Finals, struggled mightily as the Cavs lost in six games, shooting just 37 percent from the floor. Although he wasn’t the only player to under perform in the series, his poor play stood out about the rest.

“He put a lot of pressure on himself last year in the playoffs and him never being in that position he didn’t know how to handle it,” said James this week after a Cavalier victory. ”He used that as encouragement. He used that as motivation.”

It seems to have paid off, especially these past two games. The Cavaliers defeated the Magic on Wednesday with Williams scoring 28 points and dishing out six assists. He shot 9-9 from the field in the first half, getting a bit of revenge on a team that is quickly becoming a major rival for the Cavs.

“You definitely want to try to continue it,” said Williams after the game. ”But at the same time all nights are not going to be the same.”

So much for that theory.

The next night the seventh-year pro went off again, scoring 25 points on 10-15 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. With the two victories, the impact Williams has on the Cavaliers success is becoming more evident.

He is averaging just 13 points per game in the Cavaliers three losses, compared to 20.7 in their six wins. There’s been two sides to him this season, but if you ask the point guard’s teammates, the Williams they’ve seen in victories is what they’ve come to expect.

“Mo is just Mo,” said James after Williams’ gaudy performance in Miami on Thursday. ”He makes great plays. He’s an All-Star. So it’s not a surprise.”

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It was May 31st and the Cavaliers 2009 season had come to a sudden halt the night before. A 103-90 loss to the Orlando Magic had ended the team’s championship run in the Eastern Conference Finals. A franchise-record 66-win regular season, but no title to show for it. You could see the disappointment in Mo Williams face as he spoke to the media. Still, the point guards words remained optimistic.

“We will be back,” said Williams at Cleveland Clinic Courts that day.

With the 2009-10 season about to start, the Cavaliers are back and, arguably, better than ever. They traded for All-Star center Shaquille O’Neal and signed several free agents, including Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. O’Neal, Moon and Parker are all potent scorers, adding depth to an already talented roster. What these acquistions will do is give Williams a chance to become more of a distributor this season, which is something he is embracing.

“My shots will be down, but my assists definitely will be up,” said Williams after a recent preseason game. ”It’s fun for me because I’m finally getting a chance to show that side of my game. “

The seventh-year pro averaged 4.1 assists per game last season, ranking him just 37th in the league. LeBron James’ passing skills and court vision are partly to blame for Williams’ low assist rate, but don’t expect him to use that as an excuse. The former second-round pick is confident in his ability to set up his teammates.

“I know where my guys need to be on the floor,” said Williams. ”I know when my guys need the ball.”

The 6′1″ guard struggled during the 2009 playoffs, which was  just his second postseason appearance. His poor play reached its peak in the Conference Finals. In that series he shot 37 percent from the floor and averaged a lowly 3.7 assists, both below his regular season averages.

To Williams’ credit, he did play better in the final two games of that series, putting in games of 24 and 17 points and shooting 50 percent from the field, but it was too little, too late as the Cavaliers fell in six games to the Magic.

Maybe the failure was what Williams needed. He seems more determined than ever than to prove the critics wrong, and it has shown through in his play.

He is averaging 6.3 assists during the preseason, including an 11-assist game against the Mavericks. The Cavaliers won that game 96-66, in large part due to Williams willingness to set up his teammates. 

“I’m an experienced point guard now,” said Williams. “I’m not learning the game anymore. I’m continuing to get better, but I’m not learning the game.”

Thanks to the Cavaliers success last season Williams now has big-time playoff experience under his belt, something he didn’t get during his tenures with the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks. So what’s the next step for the 26-year old Williams?

“Win a championship. That’s the global goal.”

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One of the most intriguing matchups in the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals is between the starting point guards. Mo Williams has been the Cavaliers second-option all-season long, while Rafer Alston was acquired by the Magic in mid February after a season-ending injury to Jameer Nelson.

This will be a much better opponent for Williams than the Celtics would have been. Rajon Rondo has the type of speed and size that would have been tough for Mo to compete with. Instead he will get Alston, who isn’t much of a rebouding or passing guard. What he brings is shooting and ball handling.

Alston, a former “And1 Streetball Player”, has some of the best ball skills in the league. He can also get hot from the three-point line, much like Hawks’ point guard Mike Bibby. Bibby, whose Hawks played the Cavs in the Conference Semifinals last round, hit five three-pointers in game one of the series, as he was able to break free from Williams on several occassions.

Although Alston is not quite the shooter Bibby is, he has the ability to hit from deep if his defender gives him too much space out on the perimeter. He has shot fairly low percentages from the field throughout his career and this postseason has been no different. Alston failed to make at least half of his shots in all but one game so far in these playoffs and was just 33 percent from the floor against Boston last round.

Mo should be able to exploit the Rockets and Rafer on offense. If Alston tries to help on LeBron James, James will be looking to find Williams around the perimeter. Williams has been somewhat inconsistent with his shot so far in the playoffs, but did go 4-7 in the decisive game four against the Hawks last round. If Alston allows him to get wide-open shots he will make him pay. 

As far as rebounding goes, Rajon Rondo was able to get to the boards at an impressive rate against Alston last round as he averaged over 10 rebounds in the series. Although Mo isn’t a particularly strong rebounder, if he attacks the glass he may be able to steal several boards from Alston. 

Overall, the advantage has to go to Williams in this series. He has shown to be more consistent on offense as well as defense. Unless Alston can catch fire from the outside he will have trouble scoring. On the other hand, Williams, who is averaging nearly 15 points so far this postseason, should be able to put up several 20 plus points games if he can get some open attempts from the outside. For the Cavs to be successful against the Magic they will need their point guard to play at a high level.

By the way, WearVelocity.com is selling Mo’s official “The Hitman” T-shirt and “The Hitman” hat. Part of the proceeds benefit Mo Williams’ charitable foundation.