Draft Duo Make Their Way to Cleveland

Let’s be honest: Does anyone really know what fate awaits ANY of the players chosen in Thursday night’s NBA Draft?

Among the 60 players taken, there will be All-Stars and busts and hidden gems. There may be a Hall of Famer or two in the bunch, and some will never put on an NBA uniform.

O.J. Mayo might turn out to be better than Derrick Rose. Or maybe Russell Westbrook will be better than both. Michael Beasley could average 20 and 10 for the next decade, or he could be a classic underachiever like Derrick Coleman – a player he’s frequently compared to.

So when fans panicked over the Cavaliers’ selection of J.J. Hickson with the 19th pick – and expressed their disappointment in no uncertain terms in response to my Draft blog – I took it with a grain of salt.

Hickson leapfrogged bigger names like Kosta Koufos, Mario Chalmers and Chris Douglas-Roberts to be the second First Round selection in Danny Ferry’s tenure with the ballclub. In just one season at Raleigh, Hickson left an indelible impression in the country’s toughest conference – and obviously on Ferry and the Cavaliers scouting department.

Later Thursday night, the Cavaliers made a couple more moves in the second round – acquiring forward Darnell Jackson and center Sasha Kaun, both members of the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks. Both were four-year players at Lawrence and helped the Jayhawks to four straight Big 12 titles.

Jackson averaged 11.2 points on .626 shooting and a team-high 6.7 rebounds in 40 games. Kaun, 23, averaged 7.1 points on .619 shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

On Friday afternoon, Hickson and Jackson made their first appearance in the flesh at Quicken Loans Arena – introduced to some Cavalier employees and members of the media by the man who drafted them.

“Both of these guys were pretty aware that we were very interested in them,” beamed Ferry. “Both of them came in for two workouts – which is the maximum that we can have them in for – and we spent time talking to both of them and made them feel confident that this is a place that had some strong interest.”

Ferry knows that the local punditry – as well as most fans – were looking for a “name” in Thursday’s Draft. More than anything, fans were upset that Hickson is only 19-years-old, and could be a year or two from being a solid contributor.

But Hickson might be a quicker learner than expected. He went 12-for-12 from the floor in his first-ever game at NC State, and shot .591 from the field – tops in the ACC. He averaged nearly 15 points per contest and was a relentless rebounder for a freshman, snagging 8.5 boards per game.

Most people – including myself – hadn’t seen much of Hickson. But just a few minutes of watching him in action with the Wolfpack shows what his game is all about. He loves to play with his back to the basket. He has excellent footwork and an impressive array of moves around the bucket. His game has been compared to Al Harrington’s and his favorite player is Kevin Garnett.

“I kind of pattern my game after a couple players – there’s not one single player that I focus on,” said Hickson. “It’s something I’ve worked at and something I try to continue getting better at.”

More than anything, it’s apparent that he likes to stick his nose into the action and loves to bang in the post – a welcome trait for the Wine and Gold.

On the other side of the coin, Hickson is listed at 6-9, but after seeing him in person, it’s hard to see him as an inch taller than LeBron James. (Although LBJ’s aura usually gives him a couple extra inches.)

Jackson was one of five Jayhawks drafted on Thursday. He was the 52nd pick of the Draft, selected by Miami before being sent to Cleveland for the lower of the two second round picks Cleveland has in 2009. The rugged forward talked about his Draft night experience.

“My mom told me I was going to Cleveland, and I don’t know what it is about this place but it’s always been in my heart and on my mind,” said Jackson. “Ever since I started playing basketball and LeBron came here I would think: ‘Man, I’d love the chance to run up and down the court with him.’”

During their respective workouts, neither player had the opportunity to meet LeBron James, personally. James has been working out at Cleveland Clinic Courts – (and was actually shooting with Chris Jent late yesterday afternoon before the media started filing in) – and at one point, Jackson did get a look at him.

“When LeBron was stretching, I took a look over at him,” smiled the Oklahoma City native. “It’s not every day that you get to see the King. I thought: ‘Is that really him?’”

Much of the concern fans had over drafting Hickson was his timetable – and specifically how it affects LeBron’s contract. But a source close to the King maintains that what he wants more than anything is a “4” who can catch the ball in the post and finish.

One look at Hickson’s highlight reel shows that he knows exactly what to do with the ball when he receives it down low. The only question now is: when will he be ready to do so.

“I’m just ready to do whatever’s asked of me,” said the Atlanta native. “If they want me to come in and contribute right away, then I’m willing to do that. Whatever coach asks of me, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Cavaliers Grab J.J. Hickson

Well, the Cavaliers confounded everyone – not going for the big names like Kosta Koufus or Chris Douglas-Roberts – but instead opting for NC State freshman, J.J. Hickson.

“J.J. can score on the wing and in the post,” said the Cavaliers GM. “He’s a work in progress. And our job is just to put him in the best position to succeed over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Hickson played big in the country’s toughest conference and is already developed physically – with a strong upper and extremely strong lower body for a 19-year-old. He prefers to play with his back to the basket, but can also knock down the 18-footer. Even for a young guy, he’s a tough matchup because of his combination of strength and quickness and has a nice array of moves under the basket.

“Bringing a young big into our group was important for us,” said Cavaliers GM, Danny Ferry. “(Hickson) was a guy we had ranked highly all year. He’s dedicated to being the best he can be. He’s a quality kid with a great background. And talent.”

Hickson has drawn comparisions to Al Harrington – a player the Cavaliers were reportedly interested in as of late. At 6-9, he’s relatively small for a PF. He doesn’t have great mechanics and questionable hands. Hickson also doesn’t have much of a left-hand at this point – a concern for a player who likes the action close to the basket.

“This was a really challenging decision,” continued Ferry. “We just felt very comfortable with J.J. He has exceptional althleticsm, and strength, plays well with his back the basket. He’ll be a solid rotational player in a position that’s tough to fill.”

He has the potential to be an excellent rebounder, and he’ll be with one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Hickson gives the Cavaliers an athletic player at a position where they desperately need it.

Wine and Gold Snag J.J. Hickson

Well, the Cavaliers confounded everyone – not going for the big names like Kosta Koufus or Chris Douglas-Roberts – but instead opting for NC State freshman, J.J. Hickson.

Hickson played big in the country’s toughest conference and is already developed physically – with a strong upper and extremely strong lower body for a 19-year-old. He prefers to play with his back to the basket, but can also knock down the 18-footer. Even for a young guy, he’s a tough matchup because of his combination of strength and quickness and has a nice array of moves under the basket.

Hickson has drawn comparisions to Al Harrington – a player the Cavaliers were reportedly interested in as of late. At 6-9, he’s relatively small for a PF. He doesn’t have great mechanics and questionable hands. Hickson also doesn’t have much of a left-hand at this point – a concern for a player who likes the action close to the basket.

He has the potential to be an excellent rebounder, and he’ll be with one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Hickson gives the Cavaliers an athletic player at a position where they desperately need it.

The Countdown Begins ...

The word on this Draft was that it was deep one, and that’s proven to be true through the first dozen picks. The Nets have to be tickled that Brook Lopez fell to them at No. 10. And the Pacers – in one day – made a major upgrade of their point guard position, snagging Jerryd Bayless at No. 11 just hours after picking up T.J. Ford in the Jermaine O’Neal trade.

Sacramento just surprised everyone by drafting Rider’s Jason Thompson at No. 12.

Brandon Rush, as expected, came off the board to Portland. The Cavaliers were high on him, but as the Draft continues to shake out, some names are beginning to slip closer to No. 19.

Cleveland will be keeping an eye on Philadelphia – another team in need of a big. Again, the decision will be whether the Cavaliers go with a wing player or a big. The Sixers are reportedly high on Kosta Koufus and if he comes off the board, that could change the Wine and Gold’s plans.

The Cavaliers are within minutes of making their choice …

And They're Off ...

So here we are after the top five picks have come and gone …

The big mystery of the early stage of the Draft was answered when the Heat ended their smokescreen and drafted Michael Beasley with the No. 2 overall pick. Pat Riley had questioned Beasley’s dedication, but when the smoke cleared, the choice was easy. Many people feel that the K-State phenom will be a double-double machine from day one.

For all the bluster about Miami grabbing O.J. Mayo and the Heat waiting to acquire Elton Brand or Carlos Boozer next year, it was Beasley with the pick.

Mayo went to the Timberwolves, who will go with Al Jefferson at the “5” again this upcoming season – unless they make another move between now and Training Camp. (Or the end of the night.)

The Sonics took defensive-minded combo-guard, Russell Westbrook, with the No. 4 overall pick. Most of the punditry here at CCC feels that was a stretch for the Sonics. But the combination of Westbrook and Kevin Durant is still a nice one-two for Seattle.

With the fifth pick, the Grizzlies stuck to the script and went with Kevin Love – the prolific freshman from UCLA. Love has dropped a ton of weight since the NCAA season ended and will fill the frontcourt void left by the departure of Pau Gasol. Memphis has to feel good about this draft.

With Gasol’s younger brother, Marc, agreeing to join the Grizzlies this season, Memphis has to feel like they got two lottery picks out of the night.

The Knicks are on the clock now, and that’s always good for some electricity at MSG …

Let the Games Begin ...

Right now, the talk around Independence is about the same as the buzz around the basketball community – and most of it focuses on the Nets-Bucks trade.

Of course, the name of a player not involved (Michael Redd) is what the media is talking about. Does the deal that sends Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee indicate that Redd is expendable? Or does it portend that Milwaukee is building for this year, and giving Redd a sidekick like R-Jeff is an indication that the Bucks are looking at making a move.

Of course, from the New Jersey side – as it will be from now until 2010 – folks are concerned that the Nets are making salary-cutting moves to make a pitch at LeBron. And it’s not completely crazy to think that way. New Jersey did give up one of the Eastern Conference’s better small forwards for two non-starters. The jury is still out on Yi Jianlian.

I’ve had a couple of readers write in to ask who the Cavaliers would prefer – CDR or Courtney Lee. I think they’re high on both players, but it’ll probably boil down to a simple choice of whether they want a wing player or a big man like Roy Hibbert or Kosta Koufus – if either (or any of the four players) are available.

The Cavaliers do like Courtney Lee and Danny Ferry has said that he likes Douglas-Roberts’ game. Either would certainly solidify the two-guard spot. Both guys are “basketball players” – meaning they’re not shooters or ball-handlers or defenders. They can do it all, and versatility at that position has to be a priority going into 2008-09.

The 2008 tips off in just a few minutes ….

Trade Winds Blowing in the Draft

5:07 p.m. ET -- I’m here at the Cavaliers state-of-the-art training complex – Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence – where we media members will take in the 2008 NBA Draft. I’m going to be blogging from here as the Wine and Gold work their way towards the No. 19 pick.

This is one of the most wide-open drafts in recent memory. And it’s a deep draft.

As many as six point guards – Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, D.J. Augustin, Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook – could be lottery picks. The entire first round is deep with big men – even in the bottom half and past where the Cavaliers select. Quality wing players like CDR, Bill Walker and Courtney Lee should be, as well.

The story going right now is that the trade winds are beginning to blow. And all the action has been in the East.

Pending physicals ...

Jermaine O’Neal got shipped to Toronto to shore up their frontline. T.J. Ford got sent to Indy to shore up their backcourt. Each player was on the clock with their former teams, so the fact that both moved is no surprise. And it puts an end to the rumor that O’Neal might wind up in Cleveland.

The second big deal also involves a Central Division and Atlantic Division team with the Bucks sending Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson.

Yi moves to the big market, which his people wanted the entire time. And Bobby Simmons ends a snake-bitten stay in Wisconsin. New Jersey has now shipped out two-thirds of their Big Three and continues to get younger.

Boston’s Championship is already having ripple effects across the league, and it’s certain that the complexion of the East is going to be dramatically different between now and October.

And we haven’t even seen the first pick of the Draft yet. Stay tuned …

On the Clock

Although Thursday night will be the fourth Draft night that Danny Ferry has been a part of as the club’s General Manager, it’s only his second with a first-round choice available. Once again, the stakes are high.

In 2005, Ferry was hired literally hours before the Draft, but still managed to unload Jiri Welsch – dealt after an ignominious 18 games – in exchange for the Bucks’ second-rounder, Martynas Andriuskevicius.

One year later, after selecting Michigan State combo-guard, Shannon Brown in Round One, Cleveland snagged a precocious point guard in the second round named Daniel Gibson. All Gibson did later that year was help send the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history with a playoff run for the ages – culminated by a 19-point fourth quarter in the deciding Game 6 against Detroit.

Without a pick last year, the Wine and Gold had a quiet off-season – the calm before a stormy, stressful, yet successful campaign.

In 2008, the Cavaliers – who came within one quarter of toppling the eventual NBA Champs – are back on the clock, with the No. 19 overall selection. In what’s widely-regarded as a very deep Draft, and with teams actively trying to duplicate Boston’s quick-fix, Ferry will likely have an array of options to weigh and decisions to make.

“I think most knowledgeable fans understand that (Boston’s turnaround) was a really unique situation,” said Ferry, dispelling the speculation of a Celtics-style upheaval.

The Cavaliers don’t have the young pieces to pull off what Danny Ainge did last off-season, nor are they so far from the Title that they’ll have to. But this does promise to be an active off-season in Cleveland – and the ball gets rolling on Thursday night.

Ferry estimated working out about “50 to 60” potential picks in recent weeks, but didn’t tip his hand to any one player.

“We’re not scouting just for the Draft, now,” said Ferry. “We’re scouting for trades two years from now – maybe for a guy who may not be playing a whole lot. I scouted Delonte West in college, and that had a lot of impact on us trading for him now. So you’re always gathering as much information as you can.”

It’s a deep draft for big men and the Cavaliers are certainly in the market. With three of their top four frontline players – Zydrunas Ilgauskas (33), Ben Wallace (34), Joe Smith (33) – in the latter part of their careers, it’s crucial for the Cavaliers to begin rebuilding for the future.

Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert or Rider’s Jason Thompson – who could fall to No. 19 – are more refined; OSU’s Kosta Koufas, Nevada’s JaVale McGee and Texas A&M’s DeAndre Jordan are talented, but untested.

“Every player that we’ll be looking at at No. 19 will have a different story,” explained the Cavs GM. “Some of the guys might be able to make an impact this year; some of them might be 18 months away from having an impact. That’s part of the challenge of making decisions on Draft night.”

The Cavaliers could also be in the market for a “2” who can create and score. At 19, names like Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts, Kansas State’s Bill Walker and Western Kentucky’s Courtney Lee have all surfaced as potential picks.

The players that did work out for Ferry and his staff have to be impressive on and off the hardwood.

“We sit down and talk to all the guys because it really is a great opportunity to really get to know the kid – whether you draft him or not,” said Ferry. “You get to see their personality on the court, but you also get to see what kind of person that they are – (as much as you can take from an interview).”

Of course, these young prospects have to be able to perform, and for the past few weeks, teams like the Cavaliers have been putting them through the paces.

“We like to see them in competition,” explained Ferry. “We put them in 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 and let them compete against each other. You try to balance all their schedules because they have a short window of time to do this. If you think a guy’s not that tough, you put a tough guy against him – just to see.”

The Cavaliers will have to see how the first 18 picks shake out before they know what they’ll do. The trade rumor mill is cooking – especially with teams trying to replicate Boston’s instant success from last year. The Sonics are a franchise in transition -- and have four second-rounders. Larry Brown and Michael Jordan will work together for the first time. College seniors are climbing. And Pat Riley is being suspiciously coy about the No. 2 pick.

Those are just a few of the myriad storylines that could unfold on Thursday night – an evening that promises to be one of the more interesting Draft nights in recent memory. The Cavaliers will be ready.

“I do believe that we’re very well prepared,” concluded Ferry. “Our scouting staff – and Chris Grant, in particular – have really attacked the Draft, so I’m comfortable that we’re going to make a sound decision.”