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[Editor’s Note, by EvilGenius] Former Cavalier, John “Hot Rod” Williams, passed away today at the age of 53. He had been battling cancer for the past several months.<\/em><\/p>\n Williams was a Cav from 1986-93. He was a key component as the sixth man off the bench for\u00a0those great\u00a0teams that made several extended playoff runs during that era. Even though he didn’t finish his career in Cleveland, he always considered himself a Cavalier.<\/em><\/p>\n “I wear Cavs stuff every day!” said Williams in a 2011 interview. “I\u2019m proud. That\u2019s where I spent my career. I\u2019ll be a Cavalier no matter what.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In honor of Hot Rod… here’s a reposting of Kevin Hetrick’s #CavsRank retrospective of his storied career…<\/em><\/p>\n Compared to the other #CavsRankers, \u00a0my criteria skewed towards players who did the \u201cdirty work\u201d.\u00a0 I ranked Jim Brewer 16th, higher than anyone else.\u00a0 I tabbed Andy as 7th, of whom only two people were more fond.\u00a0 And I placed John Williams as the sixth best Cavalier of all-time, the highest such spot that \u201cHot Rod\u201d received.\u00a0 Maybe I was giving bonus points for great hair, too.\u00a0 Varejao and Williams certainly qualify.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a three time All-Conference player at Tulane, \u00a0after his junior season Hot Rod Williams was largely viewed as a first round talent.\u00a0 His senior year became mired in a point shaving scandal though, and the Cavaliers fortunately snagged him 45th in the 1985 draft. \u00a0 On account of the legal troubles, his \u201crookie\u201d season \u00a0transpired in the USBL, before being acquitted of all charges. \u00a0He eventually joined the Cavaliers 1986 draft class: Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Ron Harper.\u00a0 That 1986 – 1987 rookie crew was the greatest in franchise history and shaped the team\u2019s next ten years.<\/p>\n Quick aside, because it\u2019s a fun story…An archived article about Hot Rod\u2019s early legal troubles is available from Sports Illustrated<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good read, discussing Williams’s dirt poor upbringing, and how he literally crafted his game on a Louisiana dirt court.\u00a0 Addressing what would become of him if the legal troubles ended his NBA prospects, the article concludes with him saying “<\/i>I’m a good cabinet worker, so I can get me a good carpenter job. I can paint houses. I can fix stereos, and that’s good because you know there’s always trouble with them things. I’d like to live here the rest of my life. Just sit under the tree. You can see how great this place is.”<\/p>\n Fortunately for Hot Rod Williams and Cleveland Cavalier fans, he would not need to rely on his cabinetry skills.<\/p>\n From the onset of his NBA career, Williams made an impact. \u00a0He was a power forward with the agility of a smaller man. \u00a0Able to face the basket on offense, he could put the ball on the floor or shoot a mid-range J. \u00a0On defense, he banged with the opponent’s best big, or swooped in for help-side blocks. \u00a0Alongside Daugherty and Harper, the Cavs boasted the first team since the 1950\u2019s to trot out three first team all-Rookie members; Hot Rod started in\u00a080\u00a0games\u00a0averaging 14 points, eight boards and two blocks.<\/p>\n Shortly thereafter, the Cavs traded for Larry Nance, sending Williams to a bench role for the bulk of his career. \u00a0Hot Rod could have started for 25 teams in the League, and this move could have been a distraction for a player of a different disposition.\u00a0 Fortunately,\u00a0that was not Hot Rod Williams\u2019 M.O.\u00a0 He\u00a0embraced the dirty work, guarding the opponent\u2019s best big man, while\u00a0never having plays run for him.\u00a0 He was a great teammate, and his selflessness helped a good team become more than the sum of its parts.\u00a0 Hot Rod and his teammates had amazing chemistry, the secret sauce that really made them a great team .\u00a0 In this interview from a few years ago<\/a>, he talks about the closeness of the team; many of them were married young; their wives liked each other; their kids grew up together.<\/p>\n Williams shifted seamlessly to the bench, averaging 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks over the next two seasons, as the\u00a0young Cavaliers lost in the first round of the playoffs both years, looking poised to be one of the dominant\u00a0teams of the 90’s.<\/p>\n But it wasn’t meant to be.\u00a0 During his fourth and fifth season, the Cavs battled injuries and the fallout of the Ron Harper trade, struggling to 42 and 33 wins. \u00a0It was their sixth season together, 1991 – 1992, that served as the premier year of the Price – Daugherty – Williams – Nance incarnation of the Cavs, and certainly some of my fondest Cavalier memories.\u00a0 Cleveland won 57 regular season games,\u00a0before waxing\u00a0the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. \u00a0An epic second round series ensued, as the Cavs battled the aging dynasty of the Boston Celtics for seven games.\u00a0 Although on their last legs, this was the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish Celtics, with a splash of young Reggie Lewis mixed in.\u00a0 For the Cavaliers, this series is one for the best-of annals, and Hot Rod Williams played prominently in the victory.\u00a0 He averaged 15 points on 69% true shooting, along with 6 boards, and combined for 19 steals plus blocks.\u00a0 In a pivotal moment of game 4, with the Cavs down two games to one, he sunk a crucial free throw to ice the victory for Cleveland.\u00a0\u00a0Winning a seven game series against\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>Boston Celtics? \u00a0This is still the best playoff series in franchise history.<\/p>\n Of course, the Cavaliers never\u00a0overcame Michael Jordan, losing to the Bulls in the playoffs for the third time in five years.<\/p>\n The next two years, the Cavs won 54 and 47 games, again making the playoffs, and again losing to the Bulls. \u00a0Then, Larry Nance retired. \u00a0A year later, so did Brad Daugherty. \u00a0Finally after one more season, Hot Rod and Mark Price were traded.\u00a0 The era was over, foiled by injuries and Michael Jordan.<\/p>\n Williams was a highly respected player through his career.\u00a0 Even when traded at age 32, he drew quite a haul; reigning Western Conference All-Star Dan Majerle, plus a first round draft pick.\u00a0 When he became a restricted free agent in 1990, the Miami Heat offered him a 7 year, $26.5 million deal, shockingly making him the highest paid player<\/a> in the NBA thanks to a $4 million signing bonus. \u00a0Even at that price, the Cavs matched the offer.<\/p>\n To this day, Williams ranks 4th in franchise history for games played, 3rd for minutes, 3rd for rebounds, 6th for steals, 2nd for blocks, 7th for points, and 5th for Win Shares.\u00a0 In 661 games, he averaged 13 points, 7 boards and 2 swats.\u00a0 He suited up for 45 playoff games, including averaging 16 & 8 in the 1992 Eastern Conference Finals run.\u00a0 The NBA has been counting blocks for 40 years, and Williams still has blocked more shots than only 37 NBA players.<\/p>\n A wonderful two-way power forward for nearly a decade in Cleveland, Hot Rod Williams contributed to two eras of Cavalier playoff teams, including a prominent place on one of the franchise’s preeminent rosters. \u00a0I am glad to have been able to honor him for #CavsRank.<\/p>\n *In addition to the links above, “The Inside Game”, Wayne Embry’s autobiography was instrumental in this article. \u00a0Find it and read it.<\/p>\n