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.
14 comments:
Terrible, it's terrible!
Just heard Danny Ferry's comments. He did not sound real enthused about his pick. LeBron, can't be happy...I am not.
I'm speechless! What are the Cavs thinking? We need a scorer to help out Lebron. We have enough rebounders already. Another wasted pick by the Cavs!
He's not a bad pick and may be a nice player a few years down the road but I don't see much of an immediate impact. I was really hoping to see them grab Courtney Lee. I sure wish they'd grab some of those picks that teams just give away for some cash.
I'll wait to see how this plays out; my knee-jerk reaction is disappointment... but maybe the CAVS know something. Hickson could be a sleeper.
What a shame. I hope they can work some trades or something. I thought they would go avter the kid from OSU or Hibbert from Georgetown.
Oh well... Super-Bron will have to carry the team again.
Unless the Cavs make a big trade we might as well say goodbye to LeBron.There is no way he will ever resign with this team and honestly I don't blame him. Management has done nothing to get him some help for his entire career. How many big guys that can rebound but not score do you need on one team?
How in the WORLD does this help us win a championship now?? This organization seems to talk a big game yet continues to fail to put a championship caliber team on the floor. Lebron's greatness is giving our management an inflated perception of the quality of our team. If we dont make something happen this offseason then...well, I don't even know what to say
it is so tough to see the BULLs and PISTONS improve so much thru the draft while the Cavs standpat again
i honestly dunno what the cavs believe in??
when they can sign worths shxt, they say they dont believe in free agency .now they cant draft worths shxt, so now what?
it aint that easy to find someone who's going to boost you into the championship with the 19th pick....the bulls had the first pick. There job was a bit easier
Terrible pick you pick another rebounder we dont need.Its just another wasted draft for the cavs you need an impact player who can step in a make a differnce this year not MAYBE three or four years down the road. Thats just terrbile cause like we always say in Cleveland "THERES ALWAYS NEXT YEAR."
This is just pathic Ferry you promise us a big off season and you start off like this. With drafting a runny nosed 19 old one year outta of college thats a real great help......NOT!!!
Everyone back away from the 480 bridge, it is not that bad! I've heard this young man compaired to Boozer, and even though we all hate him, we know the Cavs would have a ring if he was still here. Let's sees how it pans out.
I would have to believe that the Cav bigs probably ran their choices by LeBron. The Cavs have picked up 3 quality players, I think the main problem here is that the majority of the people leaving comments only watch the big 10. Sasha Kaun is a beast and can explode in an instant. Sasha also has great strength and speed. J.J. is a good player that is going to a lot to this team. What a lot of people don't see is that the Cavs have picked up three players with great work ethics. At this point it's in the coaches hands to mold these players and the rest of the team into a championship team.
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