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His dynamic defense gets team going in scrimmage at University of Akron
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Oct 06, 2008
J.J. Hickson knows that he's a rookie. How so? By the fact that he's been made to endure one training camp ritual already — picking up doughnuts for Cavaliers veterans.
But during Saturday's Wine & Gold Scrimmage at the Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron, Hickson showed little reticence when matched up against more experienced teammates, such as Ben Wallace. In fact, Hickson stood toe-to-toe with Wallace, absorbing more than his fair share of shots from the physical veteran.
Right now, that's what Coach Mike Brown is probably seeking from the rookie.
Hickson turned some heads with his performance in the Summer League, averaging 19.4 points and rebounds and shooting 53 percent from the floor while dominating in the paint. It's likely that
that performance made Joe Smith expendable in the trade that brought Mo Williams to Cleveland in September.
You won't see the lofty numbers from the summer league reflected in the box score from Saturday's scrimmage; much of what Hickson did wouldn't show up there. Take one instance where he blocked a shot that landed in Mo Williams' hands that led to the rookie flying out on a fastbreak. It's a dynamic that you don't see enough of with the Cavs' offense. There's little doubt that Williams' play injects some energy into the team, but Hickson's defense got it going.
''Yeah, that's when I'm most comfortable, when I'm running the floor, getting blocks and just playing basketball and getting back in transition,'' Hickson said.
That wasn't the only moment, either. Any time he faced off against Wallace, it made you think of classic heavyweight boxing matches, where neither fighter would willingly give an inch.
''Both of us are competitive, so I think we challenge one another. It's just something I do as a player. He can't run me over, so I have to take a charge,'' Hickson said. ''It's me being a player. It's natural. I'm not going to back down from anybody. I'm just going to be competitive.''
Brown has noticed that about Hickson and his fellow rookie, Darnell Jackson. ''All our vets are good — they don't take any mess at all from the rookies and it's always interesting to see how a guy like J.J. and Darnell respond back to anything coming their way,'' Brown ''It's been a competitive camp so far and our young guys have not backed down, which has been impressive.''
Still, Hickson knows that he needs to work on his offensive and defensive skills and, for the most part, summer league and training camp represent a learning experience for him. ''It's really tough. We have to [make] all our reads. I'm picking most of that stuff up now, but it's still something I have to learn, but I can do it.''
His play in the opening week of training camp and in the scrimmage caught Brown's eye. ''He's young. He's athletic. He's got talent and if he keeps working out there, he'll have the chance to earn himself some minutes,'' the coach said.
He'll get the chance to show more Tuesday night, when the Cavs tip off the preseason against the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena. ''I can't wait until game time, even though it's exhibition. I'm going to go out and try to run.''
Dribble
Don't look for Brown to make any cuts before the Toronto game. Brown said he's not sure when he'll reduce the roster for the first time.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
J.J. Hickson knows that he's a rookie. How so? By the fact that he's been made to endure one training camp ritual already — picking up doughnuts for Cavaliers veterans.
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