INDEPENDENCE — They could have taken a big man who can run and shoot but may require a year or two to develop in Ohio State’s Kosta Koufos.
They could have taken an athletic scorer in Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, but they were far from the only team to bypass that route.
Instead, the Cavaliers chose North Carolina State power forward J.J. Hickson on Thursday night with the 19th pick in the NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-9, 242-pounder averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in one season with the Wolfpack. The 19-year-old shot .591 from the field and .677 at the line while starting 26 of the team’s 31 games.
Hickson, who played for former Cavs assistant Sidney Lowe while at N.C. State, is considered a strong inside player who can also face the basket and make mid-range jump shots, but how much he’ll be able to help the Cavs as a rookie is uncertain.
“In some ways, he’s kind of an uncarved block,” Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry said. “He’s a kid that has the talent.”
In Cleveland, Hickson will provide depth inside behind starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and power forward Ben Wallace, as well as backups Joe Smith and Anderson Varejao.
Varejao can opt out of his contract following the 2008-09 season and has been the subject of several trade rumors, while Ilgauskas (33), Wallace (33) and Smith (32) are all getting up in years.
For those reasons, the Cavs decided to go with Hickson in a draft filled with young big men who may take a season or two to develop.
“He’s one of those guys who will get up at 6 a.m.,” Ferry said. “He’s very dedicated to trying to be the best he can be.”
The one area where Hickson may already be better than the offensively challenged Varejao and Wallace is finishing around the basket, but the Cavs are being realistic when it comes to their newest player.
“He will be a work in progress,” Ferry said. “He has a lot to learn and grow with. It’s our job to make sure we put him in the best position possible to succeed.”
The Cavs could have went with the 7-foot, 265-pound Koufos, who unexpectedly slid all the way to the 23rd pick, where he was taken by Utah.
They also could have taken Douglas-Roberts, an athletic 6-7, 200-pounder who fell all the way to No. 40, where he was taken by New Jersey.
Instead, they went with Hickson, who grew up in Marietta, Ga., and averaged 25.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while earning second-team All-America honors as a senior at Wheeler High School.
“This was a really challenging decision,” Ferry said. “We just felt very comfortable with J.J.
“He has a chance to be a very solid, rotational player in the league at a position that’s tough to fill.”
Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rickn@ohio.net. 

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