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Do IT this week: Layering
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:50 p.m. EST, Nov 13, 2009
MIAMI: Coach Mike Brown got one of those gut feelings last week.
That feeling told him to put second-year forward J.J. Hickson into the starting lineup against the New York Knicks.
Hickson certainly isn't the reason the Cavaliers have won three consecutive games, including wins on the road against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, but that move has made a difference. In the process, 6-foot-8 Hickson is starting to find his way on the court. An example was his 18-point outburst Thursday night.
Hickson's promotion sent Anderson Varejao back to the bench, which has only made the Cavs stronger because of Varejao's legendary energy. Hickson and Varejao are distinctly different players. Hickson is more of an athlete with the ability to run the floor and score. His presence on the first team gives the Cavs another option when LeBron James or Shaquille O'Neal are double teamed.
Varejao is the guy willing to do the dirty things like scrap on defense and set picks.
''The two of those guys as a tandem can be very good because it's a big adjustment that teams have to go through when each one of those guys is on the floor,'' Brown said after Thursday's win over the Heat.
Hickson often found himself with great scoring opportunities around the basket because of those double teams to O'Neal and James. But the raw talent the Cavs saw in their 2009 first-round draft pick was on display, as well.
Occasionally, Hickson has been tentative when going to the hoop for what could be an easy basket, but his performance against the Heat was a step in the right direction.
''It's a big confidence booster,'' he said. ''Not just for me, but I can help build a lot of trust in my teammates knowing that I can come out and play hard.''
He appears to be earning that trust.
''He's getting confidence with the first unit,'' James said. ''We love him out here with us because we see the potential in him and he's going to continue to get good looks because we have so many threats out on the court.''
Point guard Mo Williams agreed.
''He was the missing piece,'' Williams said. ''It gave us the opportunity to bring Andy back off the bench where he's very, very effective and he's doing a lot of great things for us.''
Groove is back?
The Cavs have won three in a row and 6-of-7 since opening the season with two losses. In those six wins, they've scored 100 or more points five times. It would seem that they are showing signs that the offensive rhythm from last season is returning.
''I think we're slowly but surely finding our groove, finding our niches and finding out the flow of the game, how the game is going,'' Williams said.
That might be the case, but Brown said the team should resist the urge to put things into cruise control no matter how impressive their wins against the Magic and Heat were.
''We're a long way from getting to where we want to be,'' he said.
In case you missed it
James created some buzz when he announced after the game in Miami that he will more than likely change his jersey number from 23 to 6 next season out of respect to Michael Jordan.
He said that to honor Jordan, a recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, no one in the league should wear No. 23.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
MIAMI: Coach Mike Brown got one of those gut feelings last week.
That feeling told him to put second-year forward J.J. Hickson into the starting lineup against the New York Knicks.
Hickson certainly isn't the reason the Cavaliers have won three consecutive games, including wins on the road against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, but that move has made a difference. In the process, 6-foot-8 Hickson is starting to find his way on the court. An example was his 18-point outburst Thursday night.
Hickson's promotion sent Anderson Varejao back to the bench, which has only made the Cavs stronger because of Varejao's legendary energy. Hickson and Varejao are distinctly different players. Hickson is more of an athlete with the ability to run the floor and score. His presence on the first team gives the Cavs another option when LeBron James or Shaquille O'Neal are double teamed.
Varejao is the guy willing to do the dirty things like scrap on defense and set picks.
''The two of those guys as a tandem can be very good because it's a big adjustment that teams have to go through when each one of those guys is on the floor,'' Brown said after Thursday's win over the Heat.
Hickson often found himself with great scoring opportunities around the basket because of those double teams to O'Neal and James. But the raw talent the Cavs saw in their 2009 first-round draft pick was on display, as well.
Occasionally, Hickson has been tentative when going to the hoop for what could be an easy basket, but his performance against the Heat was a step in the right direction.
''It's a big confidence booster,'' he said. ''Not just for me, but I can help build a lot of trust in my teammates knowing that I can come out and play hard.''
He appears to be earning that trust.
''He's getting confidence with the first unit,'' James said. ''We love him out here with us because we see the potential in him and he's going to continue to get good looks because we have so many threats out on the court.''
Point guard Mo Williams agreed.
''He was the missing piece,'' Williams said. ''It gave us the opportunity to bring Andy back off the bench where he's very, very effective and he's doing a lot of great things for us.''
Groove is back?
The Cavs have won three in a row and 6-of-7 since opening the season with two losses. In those six wins, they've scored 100 or more points five times. It would seem that they are showing signs that the offensive rhythm from last season is returning.
''I think we're slowly but surely finding our groove, finding our niches and finding out the flow of the game, how the game is going,'' Williams said.
That might be the case, but Brown said the team should resist the urge to put things into cruise control no matter how impressive their wins against the Magic and Heat were.
''We're a long way from getting to where we want to be,'' he said.
In case you missed it
James created some buzz when he announced after the game in Miami that he will more than likely change his jersey number from 23 to 6 next season out of respect to Michael Jordan.
He said that to honor Jordan, a recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, no one in the league should wear No. 23.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
Comments
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Bethesda, MD
Posted 11:14 AM, 11/14/2009
Number 6, Bill Russell's number should be retired, not 23.
Mobile, AL
Posted 01:07 PM, 11/14/2009
Hickson is this years 1st round draft choice but with one years experience since he did not play much last year. Expectations were high for him then but he was raw. The year has allowed him to mature and and learn. I expect him to show steady progress this year and provide the athletic forward we have needed. The addition of Poe later will make that forward position a strength of the team. This team could be scary good by playoffs.
Posted 02:36 PM, 11/14/2009
This whole Jordan thing is old already. The CAVS better not fall for retiring his number in our arena...how ridiculous. If LeBron got half the calls he got during games he'd have come championships too.
independence, MO
Posted 02:43 PM, 11/14/2009
@Eastsidejo: Yep. Someone should call us the next time somebody wins 11 championships in 13 years. I remember one playoff game Russell played in - he only scored 2 points . . . but he pulled down forty (40!) rebounds, thanks very much.
Paradise, Oh
Posted 02:47 PM, 11/14/2009
If they are going to retire the magic number 23, it should be for the late Robert Anton Wilson and nobody else.
Akron, OH
Posted 02:53 PM, 11/14/2009
I like the move. Varejao is HUNGRIER off of the bench. Think about it.
norka, OH
Posted 07:29 PM, 11/14/2009
noodles J R.A.W ? He had poor range no hops and always went around quoting obscure writers..... i say the 6 GO CAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
