[Wine and Gold]

I can't believe that I can be dissapointed overall with our draft last night, but I am, even though I do truly feel that we got a kid in Hickson , that will develop into a real player in this league.

People that just brush him off as a bust pick because they haven't heard of him, seen him play, or because he wasn't as glamorized and talked about as much as many others, that quite frankly, get talked up as smokeskreens on many occassions.

I often find it humorous how certain players that have active agents, and representation get all this press and ballyhoo, when they aren't impressive in the least ...a number were present this draft it seemed.

Let me tell ya, if Hickson decided to play for another college like UNC or Duke, instead of NCState, he would have gone in the top ten easy, and if he had any representation at all, he would have benn getting pumped up in the press far more than he was, but, even as drft day approached he had yet to sign on with any agent..

I first mentioned this kid on this board about the middle of May, I had been contacted by a guy on the NC State staff that wanted me to talk to him about turning pro, the pitfalls etc ...work him out and the such ,,prepare him for what was coming.

So I did, and I csme away extremely impressed. My first impression after viewing film that this staff member sent me of JJ, was that he should stay in school and continue his development, that if he were to stay in and continue forward with his development, he would most assuredly be better prepared, and would go far higher in the comong years, than he would this year, I stand by that ...but, what I found was a player far better than I imagined once I met up with him at my old stomping ground in Viginia...this is where we decided to meet up.

The first thing that stands out is his amazing athleticism ...to me, he is a cross between a Shawn Kemp, and a Zach Randolph. Kinda bullish, he'll be a strong as an ox athlete in a couple years ...one of those uncontrollable beasts in the paint that goes a true 6'9 ...will weigh in at 255+ lbs. But will parlay that size and power with quickness, unbelievably active strong legs that give him extaordinary lift for a person that size ...and a strong finishoing ability.

He'll be tough to keep out of the paint, and from getting to the hoop, but once there, he will abuse many of these weak post players that were all over this draft board, including Arthur, who at a true 6'7 1/2 and 210 was harly what I'd call a "big" ..he was more SF than PF in the NBA in my book. But, at the time we picked with who was paft on the board, it had to come down to Arthur, Hickson, or possibly Koufos ...But the only TRUE power forward that couldn't be deemed FINESSE was Hickson.

His work ethic is exceptional, his coachability is excellent ...so many guys like Drew Gooden you can tell them something 500 times and they won't ever digest anything, every time I asked something of this kid that was new to him, he came away with getting it and then excelling at it in short order, he was a natural.

He would have been a much richer kid if he could have been more patient and stayed in school and developed further, even if for just one year ..he would have come into next years draft and easily been a top 10 pick, easily ..and the money would have been double what he's going to get this year maybe ....but again the lure of cash takes precedent.

But, the long and short of it is, this kid will get the opportunity to develop and grow here. They commited a high enough pick that they will have to justify it by giving him the kind of attention to devlopment that he will need ..

I was the first guy associatedwith this organization that ever saw or looked at this kid, because of having known one of his coaches at NC State , and having the chance to cousel him and work him out .... when I get back from meeting and working with him, I was obviously extremely impressed with him ...and I quickly gave notice of him to the main personnel people with the Cavs, they took it from there and as time passed our overall opinions kept getting higher, and he continued to grow and confirm our previously held opinions.

Alot of players left the board befroe him in this draft that he will clearly have a stronger career as a pro than ...he will be able to break many of these so called "bigs" that were taken before him, in two with one arm tied behind his back .... he's got a quickness and power explosion in the paint that you can't teach, you either have it oer you don't ..and he's got it. And he'll only get stronger and quicker as he matures physically, and developmentally by working on his footwork.

In a few years, you guys will see him as one of our clear core players ..core startes on this team I believe. I feel good that I happened to be the guy that brought the Cavs and him together....hopefully it all pays off with him having a long productive career, and helping bring the Cavs to a championship in the near future.

Now on to what leaves me feeling bad about this draft. It was the inability of Danny Ferry to have a plan B in place, and work to get another strong player in the second round. Ultimately we got a few bigs, but nothing of the stature of CDR who was out there and we could have gotten for what we ultimately what we ended up paying for organizational filler type players ...whichis what we got in Kahn and the other guy from Kansas ...

We had prearranged deals in place, that if we had our player there at a given pick we would execute a trade that would give us that pick and player ...basically trading next years 2, and some cash for the rights to the player.

The main player we were targeting was George Hill. That is the guy that we wanted to wait until early in the 2nd round and grab ....unfortunately, San Antonio stepped in at 26 and picked him in the 1st round, destroying those plans.

But, what is truly dissapointing is that Ferry saw no value in continuing to pursue some of the players that were still out there and extremely good values for the cost ....most notably CDR, but many more existed in my mind.. I don't feel we got anything of value in the 2nd round, and we should have...

No, once Hill was gone it was like all the wind went out of the organization and we did little if anything to make the moves needed to take advantage of what was out there. For a team supposedly looking to turn over every rock to improve at all costs, this comes off, to me, as unexceptable, and a defeatists mindset ...

What started out so good left a bad taste in my mouth by how the second round came and went, and knowing that George Hill was gone, seemed to take away all our passion and desire to continue to fight to get a place in that round to grab one of the real values that existed ... I can't explain how much that dissapoints me ...

But all in all, I am very happy with the Hickson pick, if not for any other reason but that I have a strong say in why he ultimately ended up here ...I feel invested in this kid to an extent now ... and I'm very confident that given his raw talents being an area that we have needed for a long time ..he will become a real deal player for this team in the not too diatent future ..

He's the type powerful inside athlete Lebron has needed for a long long time here .... he will really strengthen our inside game on the offensive and defensive end.

[Joe Henderson]

Wine and Gold makes me feel good.

[RchfldCavRaised]

I needed that W&G, for my work hangover as I browse the information highways looking this kid up.

I dont feel good about where we are as a team after this first offseason deadline... if all the trades hadnt happened over the last few days Id feel a little better.

[jkads]

Removed by author

[bob2the2nd]

Having reserved judgment till the morning after im going to say im not too terribly upset with hickson. I think the kid probably has a chance to be something, but like WnG said the 2nd round to me was a total waste, and i think thats what a bunch of people are upset about. Had the cavs come away with CDR and hickson everyone would have been ecstatic. Compound that with the brady quinn situation when he dropped and the browns went and got him I think a lot of people thought the cavs were going to get CDR.

Overall im willing to give the kid a chance, but one of the things that really bothers me is now that mike miller has been traded Im not really sure who it is the cavs are targeting to improve the team. Obviously Redd is the big question mark but unless that happens im really beginning to think that the cavs are going to go into next season with the same starting 5 they left last season. While thats not necessarily a bad thing, something has to be done before the trading deadline to make this team a real legit contender.

[bigtyme]

repost:

Appreciate the insight. I seem to recall you talking about Hickson in terms of the D-league and a player we might take in the 2nd round with as a project. Did something change? Or were you sandbagging, while giving us a hint?

Personally, I like the pick and I can see exactly where the front office was going with this pick. Teams like Bos and Det have been stocking up on young bigs for years and those bigs paid dividends for both teams this post season. I think its also fairly obvious is that teams dont trade bigs with JJ's skill set. They especially do not trade them to the Cavs. We got Booz with a late pick and this pick seems to be right along those lines. In fact, I like this guy better than booz on paper.

Unless something changes I expect to see more roster movement, which could push JJ into an early spot in the rotation, which I hope is the case. I like to see young players getting minutes and learning on the job.

[MindDefect]

I admit, after researching more on this guy, and also considering your trust in his ability, I'm liking the pick more and more. Most of us just were a bit ignorant and didn't know who the hell he was. Seems like he was probably the best low post option available at 19, while being able to move very well for his size. Also seems to be solid contributor on other aspects as well, seemingly defense.

[Funkmastabuck]

What sort of minutes do you think we can expect from Hickson as a rookie?

I know it's hard to say at this point since we don't know who of Wallace, Smith, Varajao, etc. will still be on the team.

[cdt]

I don't mind the pick, but there was talent there in Round 2 as you said that needed to be picked up and wasn't. Not only that but who are we going to trade for now? Miller? Redd? Jefferson?

All of them have been dealt...I'm hoping we aren't stuck with AV until December 5th

[Joe Henderson]

i'm a bit baffled by the George Hill pick. the news last night was that the Spurs didn't really want to be in the draft. and it seemed like they only picked Hill because all their favorite internationals were bang-bang right before they picked. so maybe there's still a chance Ferry can acquire him...

[Wine and Gold]

Originally Posted by bob2the2nd

Having reserved judgment till the morning after im going to say im not too terribly upset with hickson. I think the kid probably has a chance to be something, but like WnG said the 2nd round to me was a total waste, and i think thats what a bunch of people are upset about. Had the cavs come away with CDR and hickson everyone would have been ecstatic. Compound that with the brady quinn situation when he dropped and the browns went and got him I think a lot of people thought the cavs were going to get CDR.

Overall im willing to give the kid a chance, but one of the things that really bothers me is now that mike miller has been traded Im not really sure who it is the cavs are targeting to improve the team. Obviously Redd is the big question mark but unless that happens im really beginning to think that the cavs are going to go into next season with the same starting 5 they left last season. While thats not necessarily a bad thing, something has to be done before the trading deadline to make this team a real legit contender.

I agree ..we need to find that scorer opposote Lebron ...the trade deadline offers hope with all our expirings and Varejao ... but, one thing that intrigi=ues me is Charlotte. They now have Augustine and Felton ... I would love to nab one of those guys if they would still like to get Varejao, our 1st next year, and lose some bad contracts ... I see them as a potnetial trade partner later on ...

[bigtyme]

It gets frustrating watching team after team make move after move.... Both in trades and the draft. While Ferry sits on his hands and does nothing. No forward initiative to make a bold move and stand by your educated decision.

Youve got to break some eggs to make an omelette. No risk, no reward. This safe or nothing plan Ferry is on is going to see us drown looking for the right wave to coast on.....

[Wine and Gold]

Originally Posted by bigtyme

repost:

Appreciate the insight. I seem to recall you talking about Hickson in terms of the D-league and a player we might take in the 2nd round with as a project. Did something change? Or were you sandbagging, while giving us a hint?

Personally, I like the pick and I can see exactly where the front office was going with this pick. Teams like Bos and Det have been stocking up on young bigs for years and those bigs paid dividends for both teams this post season. I think its also fairly obvious is that teams dont trade bigs with JJ's skill set. They especially do not trade them to the Cavs. We got Booz with a late pick and this pick seems to be right along those lines. In fact, I like this guy better than booz on paper.

Unless something changes I expect to see more roster movement, which could push JJ into an early spot in the rotation, which I hope is the case. I like to see young players getting minutes and learning on the job.

Hickson I never saw as a second round type talent ....he's definitely a 1st round player, even raw. But, I think what I posted was for people to look into talented bigs down the rankings, because with having our new Erie affiliate, we would be looking to take on some developmental projects that in past seasons we may not have ...

Hickson has alot of growth left to achieve, but, he's a tireless worker, and extrmely coachable, so, I feel very good about is ultimate development at this level.

[Brizzle]

The first time I had even heard of JJ was when W&G mentioned him a while ago and then when the realgm mock had us taking him I started looking up info on him and watching his stuff on youtube. I think he was a very solid pick and he seems pretty smart so he'll probably catch on quick. If MB is willing to give him the minutes he could have an impact like Paul Millsap did in his rookie season, and btw Millsap is like 2 inches shorter than Hickson and he's doing ok for himself.

The only thing that bothered me, like everyone else, is the fact that we wasted a '09 second rounder and cash on people who will likely never step foot in the Q. CDR would've been a tremendous steal and with all the teams that had 8 billion 2nd rounders there's no way we couldn't have gotten a 2nd rounder. Not that CDR was the savior but he's so so talented and could've really done well playing with LeBron. The ball was definitely dropped on that account.

[Joppin14]

W&G... all of the big name players we were talking about seem like they are no longer options. Does this mean that we aren't doing anything else until at least the trade deadline.