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-Parker is better then west,
-Hickson is better then AV.
-Colby played better then Gibson again, and needs to take his spot.
{paraphrased}
Wrong times three.
-Parker is better then west,
-Hickson is better then AV.
-Colby played better then Gibson again, and needs to take his spot.
{paraphrased}
Wrong times three.
I don't know if keeping Hickson and Parker in the starting lineup is a bad idea.
Having a bench of:
Gibson
West
Moon
AV
Z
Sounds nice to me
Hell its better then half the NBA's startring lineup.
Colby is playing better then chuck it up and miss gibson. I would rather Colby be 2-6 and 2-5 then 5-12 and 1-3. Colby had rebounds and can pass better.
Hickson continues strong preseason push as Cleveland Cavaliers outlast Charlotte Bobcats, 102-96
By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer
October 10, 2009, 11:15PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- About a minute and a half into his first start for the Cavaliers, J.J. Hickson found himself on a fast break with LeBron James.
James, who'd spent all summer grooming his young protege, whipped a pass sideways that Hickson couldn't handle and the ball sailed out of bounds.
"He missed the pass of the day from me, but he made up for it," a smiling James said after the Cavs beat the Charlotte Bobcats, 102-96, in an NBA exhibition game Saturday night in before a sell-out crowd of 11,489 in the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C. "He played really well. He's going to continue to learn, but it was good for him to get that experience tonight."
Hickson, the Cavs' first-round draft choice last season who was used sparingly and then missed the end of the season and the playoffs with a back problem, started in place of Anderson Varejao, who sat out with back spasms. He finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. He also had a blocked shot, a steal and two turnovers.
"Of course I was excited," Hickson said. "I started off a little jittery. I was a little amped up, but at the first timeout I settled myself and then I was good."
What did James tell him after that pass sailed out of bounds?
"He told me, 'Get the next one,'" he said.
The play was an extension of the time the two spent together over the summer as James tried to help Hickson hone his talent and develop his work ethic. Although it was only an exhibition game, it seems to be paying off.
"J.J. is working," said Cavs coach Mike Brown, who was disappointed with his team's transition defense and 13 turnovers. "He has made great strides from last year. His athleticism is something we haven't had a lot of, and for him to be able to do some of the things he has done so far has been good to see. He still needs to continue to try to work on being physical and not just relying on his athleticism all the time."
Several times during timeouts Shaquille O'Neal took Hickson aside to talk to him.
"J.J. did an excellent job," O'Neal said. "He knows what his role is. He's not really going to have a lot of plays called for him, but I think he can get a lot of easy buckets from the pick and roll, especially when myself or LeBron is not in the game. He has to take advantage of those opportunities. Tonight he played very well. If he can continue to play like that, he's going to be a force for this team."
Missing in action: In addition to Varejao, the Cavs also were without Delonte West (personal reasons), Jamario Moon (wisdom teeth extraction) and rookie Danny Green (right glute contusion.)
The Bobcats, 1-2, are still without Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw. Chandler had surgery on his left ankle, and Diaw has a sprained left ankle.
Super sub: With this game not on television, Fred McLeod was able to fill in for radio broadcaster Joe Tait, who missed the game to be inducted into Monmouth College's Hall of Achievement.
It was the first time McLeod has done radio since he filled in for Tait when the Cavs went to China in the preseason two years ago. The biggest difference? Reminding people of the score and time constantly as opposed to TV where they can see those for themselves.
McLeod has made no secret of the fact that as a young broadcaster he listened and studied Tait, whom he calls a mentor and role model. But he never tries to imitate Tait.
"You've got to be yourself," he said.
It's Coby. If you want to argue about one player being better than another, it might help you convince other people if you could spell his name right.
I agree that Hickson is looking a lot better than last year, but the Bobcats were missing some bigs too (like Diaw).
Boobie is ok, I just wish he'd get his 3 touch back...
Road Show
BY ANDREW MILLER
The Post and Courier
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Two hours before the game, there were thousands of eager NBA fans standing outside the North Charleston Coliseum.
Donning mostly Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys with a few Charlotte Bobcats uniforms thrown in for good measure, they lined up five and six deep just to get a glimpse of their NBA heroes -- especially Cleveland's LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal.
Afterward, ball boys waited patiently with their basketballs, photos and hats at the ready when LeBron and Shaq came out of the locker room.
For the record, Cleveland defeated Charlotte, 101-96, for the second time in less than a week in an NBA exhibition game before a sellout crowd of 11,489 at the North Charleston Coliseum.
Cleveland forward J.J. Hickson scored 15 points to lead six players in double figures for the Cavaliers, while Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 18 points and Aleix Ajinca had 15 points and seven rebounds.
But to be honest few cared about the final outcome of the game.
Everyone came to see NBA with an emphasis on LeBron and Shaq. And for the most part, few left disappointed.
James and O'Neal were combined for 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds as both played large portions of the first half. O'Neal made a brief appearance in the second half, while James was done at halftime.
"I play an exhibition game like it's a regular season or a playoff game," said James, who had 11 points and five assists in 17 minutes of action. "I try to go in with the same mindset to get better and for us to get better as a team. I'm working on every aspect of my game. I know I'm not going to play that long, so when I'm out there I go as hard as I can."
With flashbulbs going off every time James stepped on the court, he delighted the crowd midway through the second quarter when he shrugged off a Bobcats defender, drove the basket, and slammed it home to give the Cavaliers a 28-27 lead.
"They've got a good team," said Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton. "Shaq gives them another dimension and LeBron is LeBron."
The Cavaliers acquired O'Neal in a trade during the offseason in hopes of bringing Cleveland its first NBA title.
The early returns for the Cavaliers have been almost better than expected, although James said the two are still working on their on-court chemistry.
"This is only our second preseason and we've got six more," James said. "We're going to continue to do what we need to do. We've still got some things to iron out on the offensive end.
"We've turned the ball over a couple of times because we don't know the sets. I'm confident we'll continue to learn that and we'll get better."
James has been in the league for six years and is still getting used to having around O'Neal all the time.
"The guy is huge," James said. "Until you're around him every day you don't realize how big he is. I swear he gets bigger and bigger every day. Playing against him a couple of times a year you kind of forget how big he really is."
James also thinks that O'Neal has plenty of basketball left in him for a championship run.
"He's a good all-around basketball player," James said. "I think he's underrated in that way. He doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's been in this league a long time and he knows how to play the game."
O'Neal has enjoyed his brief time playing with James.
"LeBron is a fabulous player," said O'Neal. "I knew coming in here that wasn't going to be a problem. He dominates the ball, but he also gives it up a lot. He's the type of player that you want to play with."
O'Neal was able to take a brief tour of the city Friday night.
"I didn't realize that Charleston was as beautiful as it was," O'Neal said. "I got to go downtown. This is nice city, I'll be back."
If Hickson was playing for D'Antoni, he'll be putting up 15/8 easy every night.