All of a sudden the Ricky Davis trade doesn't look so good.

I was never against the trade of Ricky Davis and Chris Mihm but I was against what the Cavaliers got back for them.  For all the criticism of Boston Celtics rookie GM Danny Ainge received this season he has turned out to be a soothsayer in dumping Eric Williams and Tony Battie on Cleveland. 

Danny Ainge knew and publicly stated that the Celtics had peaked as they were currently constructed as weren't going to get over the hump with Battie and Williams.  After all the gloom and doom in Boston after their locker room stalwarts were traded to Cleveland which came to a crest when Jim O'Brien resigned soon after the trade.  But, in an ironic twist worthy of the most die hard Cleveland fan fully immersed within the Cleveland Sports Inferiority Complex the Celtics are once again poised to make the playoffs while the Cavaliers are suddenly on the outside looking in after losing six of their last seven games.

As previously stated, if you trade Ricky Davis to just get rid of him as addition by subtraction, fine.  But, don't laud players as if I had never seen them guys play.

Eric Williams and Tony Battie were brought to Cleveland for their veteran and playoff experience, unselfishness, understanding of team defense and leadership.  And to be fair both have brought those elements to the Cavaliers especially early but during the Cavaliers recent struggles they have been nowhere to be seen.  It is one thing to talk about the intangibles of players but the bottom line in the NBA is that you have to be able to do in on the floor.  When you start exclusively talking about a veteran's intangibles it usually means they are about done and can't play anymore.  After the most impactful trade acquisition Jeff McInnis went down with an injury in the midst of the playoff run the two Cavaliers veterans with the most playoff and big game experience needed to step up and they simply have not thus far.

Eric Williams, in particular, has been the most disturbing and the most disappointing considering that he was the player the Cavaliers organization mainly pushed as the centerpiece of the trade.  To say that Williams has been bad since the All Star break would be a huge understatement.  Since the break Williams is averaging 6.0 ppg and 3.6 rpg on just 30.2% shooting and 18.5% shooting from three point range.  That isn't just bad it is beyond bad.  It's Cedric Henderson bad.  The Cavaliers recent seven game winning streak had little to do with any Eric Williams contributions. But, to have some semblance of fairness Williams doesn't fit well with the Cavaliers starters.  He's mainly a post up small forward who can hit the three from the corners but Williams won't get many looks at his spots within the Cavaliers offense since they already have a low post player in Ilgauskas and need their wings to be able to spot up and make outside shots which isn't Williams' strength.  But, with all that being said 30.2% shooting is inexcusable. Maybe even more mystifying than Williams falling off offensively has been his play defensively.  Williams has looked like a rickety old man on the floor at times even though he is just 31 years old.  He seemingly cannot guard the quicker more athletic NBA small forwards anymore.  Williams is getting into foul trouble by reaching and grabbing players a sure sign that he cannot keep up.  He is also giving up offensive rebounds, getting beat on backdoor plays and not chasing players through screens.  His play has been so perplexingly bad that after yo-yoing Williams in and out of the starting lineup according to the Akron Beacon Journal Silas had a meeting with Williams Saturday and asked him if there was anything wrong with him physically or mentally.  Williams denied anything being wrong but has since been placed on the injured list for a bruised wrist.

There was a time where it was a definite that the Cavaliers wanted to re-sign Williams this summer but right now if you asked who is giving the Cavaliers more Eric Williams or the disappointing Ira Newble you'd have to go with Newble.

Tony Battie, like Williams, was as advertised early a very good team defender that is a below average rebounder who won't give you much offense and oh, by the way has bad knees.  The problem with Battie is that he just isn't that productive.  For all the relative inexperience of Chris Mihm he was prone to have a big rebounding, scoring or blocked shot game under Silas.  Too often Battie doesn't do a whole lot when in the game.  He'll get a few rebounds, a few points and block an occasional shot but that's about it and like Williams he simply hasn't stepped up as the Cavaliers come down the playoff stretch.  There is just too huge of a drop off when Carlos Boozer or Zydrunas Ilgauskas leave a game.  After being relied on to finish fourth quarters and close games defensively Battie has seen his minutes decline as more and more the Cavaliers need the production of Boozer and Ilgauskas on the floor regardless of how they are playing defensively on a given night.  In Boston, Battie was a pick and fade/pick and pop big man who helped spread the floor but he has been unable convert similar opportunities in Cleveland and is only shooting 42.7% from the field since the All Star break despite regularly getting open shots.  Given how productive Boozer and Ilgauskas have been offensively one could make a case for being able to live with Battie's offense.  The problem is, however, that he hasn't been that much of an impact recently on defense.  During the Cavaliers recent struggles Battie hasn't made much of a difference with the Cavaliers defensive rotations or in defending the two man game.  Cleveland's defense has been Swiss cheese regardless who is on the floor.  Battie has been reduced to giving hard fouls late in games with the Cavaliers down by double digits to players who have already gone off for 25-30 points.

If Tony Battie is to be the third big man with the Cavaliers playing both power forward and center then he has to give the team more than 5 ppg and 4 rpg which have been his averages since the All Star break especially if you are making an average of 5 million a year.  

With Battie and Williams fading quicker than grandma's couch without the plastic covering and their futures as Cavaliers in serious doubt people really need to pause and reconsider all the "Jim Paxson for 'Executive of the Year" talk.