J.J. Hickson (center) isn't afraid to sacrifice his body for the good of the team (flickr)
Meet J.J. Hickson
How surprised are we with the Cavs picking North Carolina State forward J.J. Hickson?
Put it this way: That poll that has been on this site for the past couple of weeks asking you who the Cavs should pick at no. 19 didn’t even include Hickson’s name on it.
But chill out. That in no way means that I don’t support this pick, and there are many good things that should have you giddy about the possibilities such an athletic big man with a good arsenal of post moves and great potential brings.
We definitely learned one thing during this past week: The Cavs were looking for help in the paint. The Jermaine O’Neal rumors - rumors that certainly had legs as late as Wednesday of draft week - verified that. They ended up keeping that 19th pick, and instead of using it on a wing player, they took Hickson, a 6′9″, 245-pound power forward whose upside may make him the sleeper of the draft.
Hickson will turn just 20 before the season begins, and there is no question that he is far from being a finished product. And that’s scary, because the N.C. State product earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors after putting up 14.8 points on an ACC-leading 59.1 percent shooting and 8.5 rebounds per game. Hickson led all ACC freshmen in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference.
And on February 16th, 2008 - the day Mike Bibby was traded from the Kings to the Hawks (also my birthday, which is why I remember) - Hickson set an ACC single-game freshman record with 23 boards against Clemson. In 31 games with the Wolfpack, Hickson achieved double-figure scoring 25 times and reached 20 points on seven occasions. Hickson also notched 10 double-doubles.
All that…as a freshman.
Which is why you should be excited.
This pick was all about building on a core group of young players for the future. Leave the “LeBron/Jay-Z” rumors to the clowns who have nothing better to do with their lives. The Cavs can’t live in constant fear of LeBron, and they have to make the best pick for today as well as tomorrow. And based on the kind of player Hickson can become within the next five years, they certainly did that on Thursday night.
But don’t take my word for it. Here’s the reaction from around the NBA and media outlets regarding the Cavs’ selection:
I’m surprised they passed on local hero Kosta Koufos of Ohio State. But I do like Hickson, who’s a sleeper. He’s strong and athletic and he can score in multiple ways. He was 12-for-12 from the field in his first college game.
Positives: Athletic big man with an NBA body. Explosive leaper. Physical.
Good finisher around the basket. Does most of his damage inside the key. Can hit the midrange jumper. Can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Excellent rebounder. Good shot-blocker.
Negatives: Still lacks some basketball IQ. Post moves are raw. Not especially quick.
Summary: A rising young player who has had a stellar freshman season for NC State. Teams love his body and athleticism. One of this year’s draft sleepers. A mid-first-round pick if he stays in the draft. A potential lottery pick in 2009.
Interesting take by Ford, but I’m a little baffled by his constant love for Kosta Koufos. All year long in his mock drafts, he had the Cavs taking Koufos and saying how they were hoping that the Ohio State product would fall to them. He even called Koufos a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
And local hero? Hero? Look, Chad: LeBron freaking James is a local “hero.” Hell, you can even go as far and say that Brady Quinn is a local hero. But you’re going to call Kosta Koufos a local hero? I’m glad the Cavs don’t have a front office who picks players based on where they grew up and played college ball. Wow.
In Ford’s final mock draft, he had Hickson going at no. 21 to the New Jersey Nets, with the Cavs taking Roy Hibbert at no. 19. Both players ended up going two picks higher than that on draft night.
NBAdraft.net had Hickson all over their board throughout the season, finally settling on no. 28 in their final mock. They also had the Cavs taking Darrell Arthur out of Kansas in that same mock, and on Thursday night, both Hickson and Arthur were on the board for Danny Ferry at no. 19. He passed on Arthur - and so did seven teams after him. Heck, the team that picked him, Portland, traded his rights to Houston immediately afterwards.
Here’s what nbadraft.net’s scouting report had to say about Hickson throughout the year:
Strengths: Very strong and mobile big man … In addition to great upper and lower body strength, he has a very long wingspan, making his package that much more promising … He has a nice first step that he utilizes effectively from the high-post, where he faces up and takes the ball to the hoop … Shows nice patience and understanding of how to get open in the post, working from block to block to receive a pass in the best possible scoring position … His repertoire in the post is decent and has shown some nice development; he can throw a variety of hook-shots, spin moves and up & unders at his defender from the block … He has a fadeaway that is very difficult to defend because he gets it off with a mix of shoulder fakes … Can be a difficult match up for bigger post players, because he has the body to mix it up inside, but also the speed and willingness to run the floor effectively … Uses his length to block a number of shots and alter many others around the basket … His broad shoulders allow him to clear space in the paint giving him a big advantage when it comes to rebounding …
Weaknesses: Is still not ready for the next level, could use an extra year or so of college to mature further and develop his game … Does not have the great leaping ability that so many other young 4 men in the league possess … Although he shows a strong preference towards operating from the high post, his almost non-existent jump shot and subpar ballhandling will initially restrict him to the low blocks … The limited range on his jumpshot can be attributed primarily to his flawed mechanics, as he does not square up to the basket and his elbow goes out too far on the release … His touch around the hoop is very unrefined and he struggles to catch passes while on the move, which raises some questions about his hands … He was able to get away with a lot offensively in college because he could always overpower the defender with his strength, but until he develops a dependable and consistent post up game he will struggle against the more athletic/aggressive players in the league … Although he has been able to limit his fouls, his defensive game has shown minimal growth … He is very undisciplined, leaving his feet to try and block every shot that is put up, he also gets out of position frequently, allowing his man to score with ease …
DraftExpress had Hickson going 30th to the Celtics in their final mock draft, with the Cavs taking center JaVale McGee out of Nevada, instead. McGee went a pick earlier to the Wizards at no. 18. Click here to see DraftExpress’ complete pre-draft profile of Hickson.
For many Cavs fans, J.J. Hickson was just a name. He wasn’t Michael Redd, he wasn’t Elton Brand, he wasn’t any X-Y-Z established veteran - and somehow, that was his fault? Here’s the fact of the matter: J.J. Hickson is one of the best freshman to ever play in the ACC. And if you’re any kind of hoop fan, I don’t have to tell you what the letters “ACC” mean when it comes to basketball lore.
Will he contribute right away? No, and he doesn’t have to. The Cavs have solid frontcourt pieces for 2008-09 in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao, and Joe Smith. This pick was for beyond, and Hickson will be learning the trade from some pretty damn good frontcourt players.
Then there’s going to be those who will compare J.J. Hickson to Cedric Simmons just because he’s from N.C. State. That analogy is laughable and indicative of pure ignorance and lack of knowledge.
When the Browns drafted Braylon Edwards three years ago, I know a lot of Browns fans who were groaning and thinking that Edwards was another bust. Their reasoning for this? Because Edwards is from Michigan, and that means he’s going to be the next David Terrell.
Three years later, Edwards is a Pro Bowler and on the verge of becoming an All-Pro by next season. Yeah, he sure lived up to the billing as “The Next David Terrell,” didn’t he?
In Hickson’s case, Simmons couldn’t sniff his jock. The comparisons stop at the N.C. State label. While Hickson is coming out as a freshman, Simmons came out as a sophomore. In that sophomore campaign, Simmons put up 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds on 58.7 percent shooting in 27.5 minutes a game. As a freshman, he played in 31 games but couldn’t get on the court for very long, averaging just 10.0 minutes per contest. In that time, he put up a measly 3.5 points and 1.8 boards while shooting 54.5 percent from the free throw line.
Compare that to what Hickson did as a freshman, and it’s not even close. These two guys aren’t even on the same planet, to be honest.
But who are we to evaluate these things on draft day? Shannon Brown was the next Gilbert Arenas, remember?
We have a lot of time to give a final verdict on this pick. But today is not that day.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 10:21 pm and is filed under Chad Ford, 2008 NBA Draft, Jermaine O'Neal, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons, JaVale McGee, Darrell Arthur, JJ Hickson, Danny Ferry, Anderson Varejao, Gilbert Arenas, Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Mike Bibby, Roy Hibbert, Joe Smith, Atlanta Hawks.
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23 Responses to “Meet J.J. Hickson”
June 27th, 2008 at 4:09 am
I know very little about Hickson so I will wait to pass judgment on the pick. I was just happy they didnt take Koufos. But, Amar, you can’t say you werent disappointed that the cavs couldn’t get back in the second round to take a guy like CDR or Walker. Either one of those guys would have fit very nicely with this team and provided an instant boost in athleticism on the perimeter. Any specific reason why the Cavs didn’t get back in or did it just not work out?
June 27th, 2008 at 4:37 am
http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/cavaliers_trade_for_two_second.html
wtf does Ferry understand that we actually need to score points at some point, not just have a bunch of stiffs standing around clogging the lanes.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Andrew, offensive isn’t a priority with Cavs. It’s defense first and defense only. This is why the Cavs place so little value on point guards and players that can create their own shot.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:37 am
Cmon Amar,
Did the PD send u a pay check????
Even the next morning im still so pissed i cant stand it.
And then to add insult to it all i wake up to find out we picked up 2 more PF’s? 5 PF’s going into next years camp? there better be a deal in the works to get flopso outta here and get us some front court help.
Hello bulls ill take ben gordon off your hands, he might be a jerk but he puts up 18 points a night. which is what boobie and tattoo put up combined.
Here is hoping JJ hickson is not the next ________ (insert worthless draft choice here)
Thank god the browns are just around the corner….
June 27th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Amar,
Well you got your wish, they kept the pick and successfully landed another stiff! I’m glad everyone in the Cavs organization was on board this one. A project PF that can’t score outside of 10 feet! Just what we needed! Never mind putting the ball in the hole.
Honestly, does this front office realize that the clock is ticking on LeBron? Seriously, the Nets did more for LeBron than the Cavs did last night. It’s like they are trying to drive him away. But his Nets jersey will be the highest selling of all time, so that’s good.
Ferry sucks.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:20 am
After looking it over and reading about Hickson and what not I am satisfied with the draft of the Cavs. Personally I felt more value could potentially come from a trade of the pick, one thing I heard was the 19th pick, Gibson, Varejao and Wally for Redd and VIllanueva from the Bucks. But hey we choose to pick at 19 and ended up with a solid prospect. Just would have really liked to add more proven and NBA ready players…
June 27th, 2008 at 7:17 am
The only thing I can think (lets be honest its probably just misplaced hope) is that Ferry has something in the works that involves moving multiple big guys. If that is the case, then selecting three big men in the draft would make some sense. If not, then I have to view this draft as bad, regardless of what Hickson does. The second round pickups make absolutly no sense unless a move is coming shortly.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:52 am
The Cavs selected the 19-year-old freshman from North Carolina State with the 19th pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft. League sources also indicated the Cavs made two trades in the second round, obtaining the rights to two Kansas Jayhawks - No. 52 Darnell Jackson from the Heat and No. 56 Sasha Kaun from Seattle, pending league approval.
amar what do u think about them i dont know nething
June 27th, 2008 at 8:56 am
After the initial “what the… who?” from last night’s draft, I’m pretty satisfied with the pick itself (a little skeptical about the 2 Kansas kids we traded for afterwards though), especially if it means a deal is imminent to get Mr. Flip-Flops out of here before he chooses to leave himself (sorry Andy, but this is Cleveland, land of the other shoe dropping). I wouldn’t be too worried about a frontcourt of Big Ben and Z (if both were healthy) being backed up by a Smith/Hickson tandem (let the kid learn from all 3 of them! Especially FT% from Z…)- it’s that backcourt depth that looks like trouble to me, but my optimism tells me that a deal is coming for Wild Thing + contracts.
What I’m most disappointed about last night was the inability to get back into the 2nd round after reading about the players I had been eyeing pre-draft had we traded back in (namely, Chalmers, CD-R and Walker). The interest to deal was apparently there: Chalmers was traded for future picks+cash; Walker for cash. (Aside: Cash!? What am I missing here…) CD-R wasn’t taken until #40, and surely we have assets that the Nets could have used (future 2nd rounder, expiring contract for their Lebron-coup). Each of these players, albeit projects (but really, what “future 2nd round pick” isn’t a project?), fill needs which sorely need addressing; each seemed attainable via draft or post-draft trades; and each was a steal at his respective drafted position.
(I’m going to have to assume that teams in general do not like the idea of Lebron getting any help around him, and I suppose, rightly so. Which makes Ferry’s job a little tougher, honestly, but with the King on hand, how hard can your job really be?)
Looking to the future, it seems that this team has become a perennial “trade-built” team (as opposed to a “draft-built” team, which I reluctantly attribute to the Paxson-era debacles, but that’s another headache) and will look to the market or other team’s post-draft leftovers for help. Personally, I would like to take Kirk Hinrich (and his contract) off of the Bulls hands with Rose in their future, but I’m not sure what the going rate is for Mark Price-wannabe’s or if there’s even interest. James Jones is available if the mid-level exception is what he’s looking for (admittedly, I wouldn’t pay him that much); however, Michael Redd looks like a distant, fadeaway dream shot now that the Bucks have dealt for (highly overrated yet still a very good complimentary player) RJ and look to compete sooner rather than later. I’m looking forward to a big splash in this summer’s wheeling-and-dealing season, but for now, I’ll take this tall drink of water from N.C. State.
(By the way, pop quiz: Only two players to “appear” in the last two NBA finals, one of whom has a ring now? Answer: Ira Newble and Scot Pollard! That’s right- leave Cleveland, win a championship. Eep.)
June 27th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I’m not surprised fans didn’t like this draft selection however I am pleased. If we couldn’t get in the lottery (I wanted Mayo myself) I didn’t think we could get a quality scorer with the 19th pick. I thought the smartest thing the CAVs could do was to find a good young big man to groom. I just hope Mike Brown will use the kid for rebounding, block shots, tuftness, and to give a few fouls. I believe grooming a “big” will be less painful to the fans than trying to teach a parameter player how it is done in the NBA. Unlike yourself Amar, I don’t think many fans understand the kind of scoring and rebounding numbers put up by Hickson for a FRESHMAN in the ACC is worth the gamble because he would probably be a lottery pick next year. I would much rather do it this way and hopefully bring in a proven NBA scorer through trade or free agency!
June 27th, 2008 at 9:57 am
No, the Plain Dealer (or any other media outlet, or the Cavs themselves) didn’t pay me. And no, I didn’t do this just to shed positive light on this situation when it’s really bad. I’m telling it like it is: this was a pretty good pick for the Cavs considering who else was available at their pick, what they brought to the table, and what the Cavs needed.
I’ve heard arguments that the Cavs need help NOW, and Hickson may not be able to provide that immediately. I disagree. I think Hickson can be every bit as effective next season as Anderson Varejao was HIS rookie year…or even as effective as Anderson Varejao is NOW.
When the Jermaine O’Neal trade was rumored, fans were upset. When the Cavs keep the pick and get a guy who brings toughness (and, for once, WE HAVE A POWER FORWARD WHO ACTUALLY DUNKS AND DUNKS A LOT!) and rugged rebounding, we call him a stiff. I just don’t understand what the hell’s going on.
I’m upset that my two guys - Walker and CDR - slipped to the second round. But let’s face it: I’m not a GM. None of us are GMs. These guys obviously saw something in Walker and CDR that made them believe that they can’t be impact players in the NBA. In Walker’s case, unfortunately, it’s the injuries. In CDR’s case, there may be a lot of factors working against him.
But we know that Danny Ferry isn’t afraid to take a gamble on players who he is sure can help his team. Remember Daniel Gibson two years ago? Remember how the Cavs were willing to pay off Lee Nailon’s contract just to get that extra second-rounder? Ferry was dead set on Gibson. That’s because with the way our team was made up at the time, we could have used a guy like Gibson.
With the way our team is made up right now, where does CDR fit in? We have way too many guards. Sure, Wally is just a big expiring contract who is waiting for the trade deadline, but until then, he’s still our starting SG. Then you, unfortunately, havs Sasha, who was re-signed less than a year ago. Boobie and Delonte are combo guards who will need minutes at both guard positions. So where would you put CDR? I’m afraid he would have been another Shannon Brown - parked firmly on the bench and getting nearly no minutes at all.
And while Ferry would be king amongst the fans on draft night, he would have, in the end, done nothing more than draft another “bust” in the long run.
Hey, you know what they say in GM World: If you listen to the fans, you end up sitting next to them (as in being fired and jobless in the stands yourself).
June 27th, 2008 at 10:03 am
As for Jackson and Kaun, I think that’s a sign that the Cavs are ready to part ways with Varejao. Both Jackson and Kaun will translate to energy guys in the NBA who like to get down and dirty. I remember watching both in college, and I really think that those two guys can compete against each other to fill the role of “energy guy off the bench.” They’re not impact players…just guys who can fill out the rotation and hopefully provide intangibles that Varejao brought.
Come to think of it, it’s pretty hard to replace a guy like Varejao. But it’s not like we’re trying to replace a cornerstone player or a pivotal starter. I like what these two guys bring in that sense.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Amar,
I want to know how many guys on this team can create their own shot. Seriously, answer that.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Besides LB, of course:
Ilgauskas
West
Joe Smith
Sasha (well, at least the ‘07 version)
Szczerbiak
I’m on the fence with Boobie on this one. He showed signs of being able to early on in the season, but those flashes disappeared as the season went on.
Your take?
June 27th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
The pick was good, this kid will be good, did people really think that CDR would be better than a Devin Brown or another guard like him that we could sign to the league min or Mid-Level Exception? I mean come on people wake up, all 30 teams passed on walker and CDR and 26 on Arthur for a reason. If they were that good then they would’ve been picked. The pro game is ALOT different than the college game and it takes a different skill set in the NBA……. That being said, a rumor on WKNR 850 AM in Cleveland has us sending Wally, Andy and Damon to Golden State for B-Diddy!!!! I think Hickson can replace Varejao now, Bring on The Baron!!!!!!
June 27th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Cavs should’ve gone for a SG.
They have enough PFs (Wallace, Varejao, Smith etc).
When Cavs choose J.J. Hickson, there were some good SGs available, such as Courtney Lee, Bill Walker and Chris Douglas-Roberts.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
That Baron Davis rumor is beyond bogus. Cleveland media types, especially loser Rhoda, have a tendency to just make shit up and make a big deal out of it even when nobody else in the country is giving a damn. Nobody has reported this, it’s not on hoopshype and realgm (which is where a trade like this WOULD be if it were true), and it makes no sense whatsoever from the Warriors’ standpoint. I mean, seriously: B-Diddy for Varejao, Wally, and DJ? Think about it.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
He fits the system that Ferry and Brown have created…which is what matters most. I actually like the pick and he seems to have the make up as well.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:09 am
you hear we made an offer for vince carter? and the nets considered we only offered wally dont u think we could have landed him if we would have offered idk basically anything else
June 28th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Brett-
I heard about the Vince Carter rumors from a New Jersey media website. That is pretty interesting that they considered our offer considering it was just Wally straight up for VC. I wonder if they would have taken the bait if we had included one of our two second-round picks next summer.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[…] all, we touched on Hickson here and here. Cavalier Attitude gave us his thoughts. I could list plenty of other thoughts, but you get the point. I think this part really irks […]
July 5th, 2008 at 11:58 am
J.J. Hickson is goin to surprise all of you. Give the kid a chance, he is way more dynamic than all the PFs on the team right now. he can run the floor real good and he is nice on the block. never pass judgement before-hand didnt your parents teach you that.
July 8th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
hey j j is my cousin and let me tell you caveliers are going to the finals
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