JJ Hickson To Cleveland

Let's check in with the faithful...

The Cavs need to win now. So why did they pick a freshman project? Who knows. But they went for PF JJ Hickson from N.C. State. Unless this is part of some trade that hasn't been announced yet, let me say it clearly: Fire Danny Ferry.

You gotta love draft day.

Le Cavs:

Ori's reaction went "Oh sweet god. Oh lord, why? Oh, oh, oh..."

JJ Hickson? Seriously? Did ANYBODY see that coming? We've mentioned JJ Hickson all of twice on LeCavs.

Hoopsworld:

While Hickson is a very promising young talent, they didn't get the best value at 19 especially when you consider who else is on board. Power forward was a big position of need for the Cavaliers though, that is undeniable.

They needed that power forward to be able to contribute sooner rather than later, and both Arthur and Koufos will be better right away than Hickson. Of the three, he is the least pro-ready. Cleveland was in a very nice position right here, but did not capitalize. For a team that is drastically trying to put together a team that Lebron James will want to sign long-term with come free agency, this was definitely not the way to go.

Where'd this come from?

A 19-year-old freshman who's not physically or emotionall mature, and has reported issues with his work ethic.

Huh?

Fire Danny Ferry.

Emphasis mine. His work ethic was also cited as an issue here. News to me.

The knock came from Jay Bilas, apparently:

Ferry said he had to make his comments brief because he and the rest of the front office was "trying to explore other stuff."

He repeatedly praised Hickson's work ethic, saying that the 6-9 forward often woke up at 6 a.m. to hone his skills on the court. Interestingly enough, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas chose Hickson's work ethic as the thing the N.C. State product needed to improve the most.