The J.J. Hickson Conundrum
During the 2008 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers had a couple of needs that Danny Ferry was looking to fill. The backcourt depth was suspect at both spots, as well as the front court power positions. The four and five slots were the more pressing need, since it was loaded with slower big men like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith (had yet to be traded), and Ben Wallace. Developing a young big to take Joe Smith’s minutes was probably #1 on Ferry’s mind.
At the time, the major fly in the Cavaliers ointment – the inability to defend the pick and roll against teams with athletic four’s and five’s – has yet to be unearthed. There were several intriguing prospects out there who were ready to step in and play right away and could be available where the Cavaliers picked at #19; Rider PF Jason Thompson, Cal’s stretch PF Ryan Anderson, Stanford PF Robin Lopez, and Indiana PF D.J. White. Then you had “upside” guys like Syracuse stretch PF Donte Greene, Nevada C Javale McGee, and a Freshman PF from N.C. State named J.J. Hickson.
If Ferry decided to go with a guard, two players in particular were thought to be there at #19 as well as ready to step right into an NBA rotation – Western Kentucky’s SG Courtney Lee and combo guard Mario Chalmers from Kansas.
In the end, Ferry decided he wanted a young, athletic big man to develop for the future, so he went with Hickson. On nbadraft.com, his profile listed the following strengths and weaknesses as of 5/26/2008:
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.
We are now just over a year into Hickson’s development. For the most part, the scouting reports on him seem to be pretty accurate. His defensive has been brutal at times, other than the occasional blocked shot. He seems to be constantly out of place on both ends of the floor. While his athletic ability has wowed many, showing a potential for big upside, his warts far outweigh the positives he has brought to the floor.
The problem for coach Mike Brown is that with the additional of Shaquille O’Neal to the mix with Z and Andy, the same old, slow big man mix is there. Not to mention Z and Shaq and both a year older and cannot defend the pick and roll. This is where Hickson’s lack of development has hurt. You can look back in hindsight and say that Ferry knew he had a team that was veteran laden and needed someone in the 2008 draft who would fit in and play right away, rather than try to develop a guy with great upside like Hickson. I think he thought he was getting that in second round pick Darnell Jackson. While Jackson showed great hustle, smarts, and solid defense last year when he was a part of the rotation, Brown has been reluctant to use him last year in the Orlando series (which Lebron James was allegedly very critical of Mike Brown over) and in the first seven games.
I’m not sure why.
Hickson showed some life during preseason, but those games have proved to be meaningless, as he has fallen right back into some of the same bad habits we saw last season (i.e not knowing offensive sets and not being in position on D). To try and spark both his second year guy and his team, Brown decided on Friday to start Hickson next to Shaq and bring Varejao off the bench. The move was done to get more of energy off the bench with the second unit, get more athletic, and have Hickson build on his chemistry with Lebron.
“You don’t always have to start your five best players, and obviously I’m still searching and feeling this team,” Brown said. “I just thought we’d be a little bit more dynamic, especially coming off the bench (with Andy), and we got what we were looking for.”
Hickson’s continued development is one of the biggest storylines to watch during this regular season. If he can turn into the kind of player Ferry thought he was getting when he drafted him, then the Cavs’ chance to compete for the East crown with Orlando and Boston will get a major boost.
I said it during the Magic series last season when the Cavs were pick and popped to death and couldn’t defend Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis on the perimeter: “I never thought I’d say this, but this series screams for J.J. Hickson.”
Lets see how he does in his first chance against the injury depleted Magic tomorrow night.
AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek
November 10th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
JJ just needs to play serviceable pick and roll D and this Cavs team becomes difficult to beat, consequently having the option to play Hickson and Andy upfront. Lebron is a good enough rebounder to hedge the height difference.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Mike Brown <3's JJ Hickson.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Hickson is a bust
November 10th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I’m a little surprised fans haven’t been more critical of the Christian Eyenga pick last year. I understand Ferry planned on shipping him off to Spain to avoid having a guaranteed contract on the books, but seeing all the success Dejuan Blair is having with San Antonio (averaging 8 and 8 in 18 minutes so far) really makes you wonder if that was a good call.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I think no one talks about Dejuan Blair because it = sad.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Trade bait.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
A young PF like Hickson will be attractive to a team looking to dump a high-salary veteran in exchange for young players and expiring contracts.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I forgot where I read it, but Ferry tried to get back into the second round early in front of San Antonio ( to draft Blair I presume), but was outbid 10 seconds before the pick was due.
Not sure how true it is, but it’s not hard to believe.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Chris, Chris Broussard at ESPN.com leaked that tidbit. They had already passed on him twice.
Dejaun Blair is not what we needed though. He’s undersized. And can’t move that well. He has injury problems. JJ has the athleticism and length (think wingspan) that Blair lacks to contest Lewis/Wallace 3s on the perimeter.
Blair is like the rich man’s Darnell Jackson. Wide. Stocky. Can use his bulk to get position down-low.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Hickson reminds me of Malik Rose. Not awful but nothing to build around.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I wanted Blair, concerns about his knee prevailed, but damn we needed him
November 10th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
anybody willing to label JJ a “bust” needs to chill out. the kid’s 21, and he’s never had consistent PT. how can you honestly judge his development this early in his career? i’m psyched to see what he can do with the first team. he’ll naturally be the fifth option, so he’ll be able to get adjusted to being a starter without having to worry about his offensive game.
and in regards to blair… i totally agree with Jack: he’s a rich man’s jackson. he’s getting his stats against second teamers, and let us not forget that this is the THIRD week in the season. talk to me in april.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
@11 spot-on analysis.
also on Blair…it’s his first season as well. teams were reluctant to draft him because they were unsure how long his knees would last….maybe he makes it through this season but not next….at some point, the wear and tear is just going to be too much. if the Spurs get a few years out of him first, then their gamble paid off (small gamble as they made it in the 2nd round at that point)
November 10th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Hickson may still be a serviceable trade asset to package with Z’s contract.
With that, how about the Cavs take a look at making a trade with the 76ers? They are currently playing very poorly and may be headed into a losing season. Andre Igoudala or Elton Brand may be worth a shot. Both have large long term contracts and enough athleticism to improve this team. Granted Brand has many questions surrounding his health and ability. Igoudala is the face of the 76ers franchise at the moment so its doubtful they would part with him. Either way, if Ferry could pull strings for a an ideal trade, either player could be a help to this Cavs team.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Blair is outperforming ALL of this year’s 2nd round picks (and most 1st round picks). Even if he only lasts 2-3 years and fizzles out, that’s more than you can reasonably expect from a 2nd rounder.
The fact that 36 teams passed on a guy who leads all rookies in RPG and is 3rd in the NBA in Rebs/minute is shameful. Darnell Jackson? Try comparing his stats to these guys when they were rooks – Boozer, Bosh, David Lee, Al Jefferson, etc.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Starting Hickson makes no sense. I’m all for extending his minutes and letting him learn on the court, but to me, this is just further evidence that Mike Brown is just throwing haymakers and trying to see if one of them will land instead of making educated guesses about the rotation.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Biff, gotta disagree. Starting Hickson makes perfect sense. Andy is much more productive off the bench. Hickson and Z together are a huge liability. Hickson’s mistakes can be hidden a little on the perimeter as he learns to defend the p-n-r because at least Shaq clogs up the lane more than Z does (and occasionally flattens people
).
Better still, it allows Delonte, who is still working his way back and can’t really be trusted to start yet, to find his way while playing with last year’s starting lineup. In the first quarter, our second unit is las year’s starting unit.
Hickson starting is great for his confidence and for chemistry reasons.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
wow, had no idea that emoticon adventure would unfold…apologies
November 10th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
@Jack
Cavs didn’t pass on him twice in the draft, they passed once. The Spurs had a higher second round pick, Ferry was in a deal to buy a second 2nd rounder earlier than the Spurs pick.
I do agree that starting Hickson is a good way to get him minutes. He needs to play to learn and Hickson/Shaq works far better than Hickson/Z, and if he starts to falter we can always pull him for Andy, as Brown did in the Bulls game. One would hope, though, the Hickson has a longer leash than he did in that game moving forward.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Truth. I don’t actually know why I typed that. But yes, what I put out there was errant.
And I too hope he is given a greater margin for error than previously. If Brown keeps jerking him around we are going to be forced to see more excessively demonstrative “Damn, Shucks, Shoulda had that” hand-clapping after failed finishes and turnovers as he gallops down to the defensive end of the floor.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I completely agree with Jack on this one. I think starting JJ is a very good idea, and is definitely worth the experiment. Having Andy play with Z in the second unit will do good things for our offensive rebounding since Andy is going to be taller than most teams’ back-up power forwards. Plus Andy is a good offensive rebounder anyway. Z pulls defenders away with his outside shooting, so the 5 will often have to chase Z away from the basket. LeBron and JJ seem to have a good chemistry when they’re on the court together, and I like that. JJ needs time on the court to better hiimself, and I like that Brown is willing to do that… I only wish Brown would give JJ a little more time than just the opening 7 minutes (or so).
November 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
To me, he looks like he is lazy. Better fill him up on that energy drink they keep advertising!
November 10th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Are you sure Jason Thompson was available at #19 when we picked? I thought he went very high (especially since the Kings drafted him and are no where near the playoffs since C-Webb) Because if he was there then that’s what we should really be screaming about. Blair is ok but Thompson is a real beast.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
My suspicions were right, he was taken 12th. Just had to point that out guys. Sorry.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:32 am
good call s-dub. on that note, javale mcgee was gone too (#18).