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Cavs rookie appears to be having trouble playing defensive end
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 09:08 p.m. EDT, Oct 02, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: Cavaliers rookie J.J. Hickson is less than a month off his 20th birthday and at least two years younger than anyone else taking part in the team's training camp. That includes the interns.
Not surprisingly, it's showing.
While there was some belief that the 6-foot-9 inch forward could become an instant rotation player, some early training camp growing pains may be bringing everyone back to reality.
Now surrounded by all the veterans, Hickson is having some moments where he can't keep up, especially on the defensive end.
On Thursday, he had to bring several dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the morning practice, a normal rookie tradition. But the real hazing has been the demands of coach Mike Brown, whose expectation for perfection on defense even in drills had Hickson admittedly surprised.
''He's doing OK,'' Brown said this week of Hickson, withholding the praise he has lavished on fellow rookie big man Darnell Jackson, who is smaller and less talented but three years older.
''This is a different environment than he is used to. But he will, not we hope or not maybe, he will get used to this environment sooner than later. He is a young man that we are molding right now.''
Hickson had a strong freshman season at North Carolina State but was still a relative unknown when the Cavs used their first-round pick on him in June. But he perked up some eyebrows at the Vegas Summer League and then the Tim Grgurich
Big Man Camp a few weeks later when he stood out.
The Cavs liked him because of his ability to score with his back to the basket, a skill that none of their frontline and veteran big men (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao) really possess. His youth and willingness to rebound — he was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference to Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina last season — made him all the more attractive.
Even Brown said that Hickson's skills have impressed him.
''He has a talent level that I can't teach,'' Brown said. ''If he's able to do them in framework of what we want to get done as a team, then he has a chance to be very good for a long time.''
That framework, though, is Brown's code word for defense. In general, NBA coaches don't like to play rookies right way. Brown doesn't like to play anyone that doesn't devote himself to defense, either.
Even two years ago, when Daniel Gibson awed everyone with his superior shooting in training camp, it still took several months before Brown trusted the rookie enough to put him into the rotation.
With that in mind, Hickson may not be looking at steady minutes for awhile even though the Cavs have a hole in their big man rotation after Joe Smith was traded. That is one reason why Brown is already experimenting with lineups that put LeBron James and others at power forward behind likely starter Wallace.
Hickson will get chances, but early on it appears as if the Cavs may attempt to play chunks of games with a smaller lineup depending on matches. That includes maybe using Wally Szczerbiak and even Sasha Pavlovic for periods at power forward.
''I played a lot of power forward in college and I'm 245 pounds, so I can bang with guys down there,'' Szczerbiak said. ''I think going into this season we all realize there are going to be a lot of options for us.''
More will be learned next week, when the Cavs play their first two preseason games, as to just how deep Hickson's initial learning curve will be.
Veteran pickup Lorenzen Wright and rookie Jackson will certainly also get looks, but Hickson will no doubt be a focal point.
''He'll get his chances,'' Brown said. ''Is J.J. going to earn [playing time]? I don't know.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
INDEPENDENCE: Cavaliers rookie J.J. Hickson is less than a month off his 20th birthday and at least two years younger than anyone else taking part in the team's training camp. That includes the interns.
Not surprisingly, it's showing.
While there was some belief that the 6-foot-9 inch forward could become an instant rotation player, some early training camp growing pains may be bringing everyone back to reality.
Now surrounded by all the veterans, Hickson is having some moments where he can't keep up, especially on the defensive end.
On Thursday, he had to bring several dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the morning practice, a normal rookie tradition. But the real hazing has been the demands of coach Mike Brown, whose expectation for perfection on defense even in drills had Hickson admittedly surprised.
''He's doing OK,'' Brown said this week of Hickson, withholding the praise he has lavished on fellow rookie big man Darnell Jackson, who is smaller and less talented but three years older.
''This is a different environment than he is used to. But he will, not we hope or not maybe, he will get used to this environment sooner than later. He is a young man that we are molding right now.''
Hickson had a strong freshman season at North Carolina State but was still a relative unknown when the Cavs used their first-round pick on him in June. But he perked up some eyebrows at the Vegas Summer League and then the Tim Grgurich
Big Man Camp a few weeks later when he stood out.
The Cavs liked him because of his ability to score with his back to the basket, a skill that none of their frontline and veteran big men (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao) really possess. His youth and willingness to rebound — he was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference to Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina last season — made him all the more attractive.
Even Brown said that Hickson's skills have impressed him.
''He has a talent level that I can't teach,'' Brown said. ''If he's able to do them in framework of what we want to get done as a team, then he has a chance to be very good for a long time.''
That framework, though, is Brown's code word for defense. In general, NBA coaches don't like to play rookies right way. Brown doesn't like to play anyone that doesn't devote himself to defense, either.
Even two years ago, when Daniel Gibson awed everyone with his superior shooting in training camp, it still took several months before Brown trusted the rookie enough to put him into the rotation.
With that in mind, Hickson may not be looking at steady minutes for awhile even though the Cavs have a hole in their big man rotation after Joe Smith was traded. That is one reason why Brown is already experimenting with lineups that put LeBron James and others at power forward behind likely starter Wallace.
Hickson will get chances, but early on it appears as if the Cavs may attempt to play chunks of games with a smaller lineup depending on matches. That includes maybe using Wally Szczerbiak and even Sasha Pavlovic for periods at power forward.
''I played a lot of power forward in college and I'm 245 pounds, so I can bang with guys down there,'' Szczerbiak said. ''I think going into this season we all realize there are going to be a lot of options for us.''
More will be learned next week, when the Cavs play their first two preseason games, as to just how deep Hickson's initial learning curve will be.
Veteran pickup Lorenzen Wright and rookie Jackson will certainly also get looks, but Hickson will no doubt be a focal point.
''He'll get his chances,'' Brown said. ''Is J.J. going to earn [playing time]? I don't know.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
Comments
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Posted 10:20 PM, 10/02/2008
Please, Dear God, do not put Wally in any position, except a spot-up jumpshot, with plenty of time of to shoot.
Posted 12:43 AM, 10/03/2008
This piece sort of puts the semi-kibosh on all the delusional "Hickson is the next Karl Malone" fan posts I've seen littering the local blogosphere. Apparently some folks don't comprehend that playing summer league against LeBron's old high school team does not equate to having actual NBA talent.
