INDEPENDENCE — J.J. Hickson was drafted by the Cavaliers with the No. 19 pick in the first round. Darnell Jackson went in the second, No. 52 overall to Miami, then was traded to Cleveland.
Hickson, who played one season at North Carolina State, is a young colt with a ton of promise. Jackson, who played four years at Kansas, is more seasoned.
Due to his tremendous athletic ability and lively legs, Hickson has more potential. Jackson understands the game better at the moment and makes fewer mistakes.
Both have guaranteed contracts and are locks to make the team.
“They’re going to make mistakes,” said superstar LeBron James, whose team will play the San Antonio Spurs in exhibition action tonight at 7:30 at Quicken Loans Arena. “There’s nothing wrong with that. They’re rookies. I made mistakes. I make mistakes now, and I’m in my sixth year. Hopefully, they just learn from them and continue to get better.”
The 6-foot-9, 242-pound Hickson showed flashes of brilliance and made huge mental mistakes Tuesday against Boston, often in a matter of seconds. The raw 20-year-old had a third-quarter stretch where he dunked in traffic and looked smooth while hitting a jumper, but both times he blew defensive assignments and his man scored at the other end.
“I take a deep breath,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said with a smile when asked about the rookie. “I tell myself to relax and do some Zen Buddhism. Then I go talk to him. J.J. is a talent. He can do a lot of things. He just has to continue to play hard every play and think about what he needs to do defensively.”
At times, it looks like Hickson is thinking too much. At others, it looks like he’s not thinking at all. The Cavaliers are searching for that happy medium, with teammates and coaches repeatedly encouraging and correcting the young rookie.
Jackson has picked things up much quicker, though he did make four turnovers against the Celtics at the Peterson Events Center.
“It’s definitely still a learning experience for me,” the 6-9, 253-pounder said. “I’m still learning the spacing and all the different plays and how you have to be at certain spots on defense. It’s going to take time, but I’m going to learn it. I’m going to do whatever the coaches want me to do to fix my mistakes.”
Jackson, who has played center and power forward in camp, made four jumpers against Boston and all hit nothing but net. He also chased down several long rebounds and seemed to have a natural understanding of where he was supposed to be on the floor.
“I want to be on the court,” the 22-year-old said. “That’s my job — to get my teammates extra possessions by getting loose balls and working as hard as I can. That’s what I have to do to help my team.”
Brown raves about Jackson’s work ethic and even referred to the former high school tight end/defensive end as “Butkus” early in camp. That was just fine with Jackson, who joked he was “waiting by the phone every day” for the Browns to call when they started the season 0-3.
“It’s not all about size,” said Jackson, who is small when compared to most NBA centers and power forwards. “It’s about your heart. I don’t care how big a guy is, I’ll go after him. You shouldn’t fear any man on this earth or on this court. That’s my mentality.”
Brown’s thinking is ongoing. With Ben Wallace suffering from back spasms and veteran Lorenzen Wright on his last legs, one of the rookies might get some playing time when the regular season begins.
Brown could go with Hickson, who has to play through his mistakes in order to get better, or he could go with the more seasoned and ready Jackson, though he doesn’t have as much long-range potential.
Fortunately for Brown, he has four more exhibition games and numerous practices to sort that out.

CAVS NOTES

West back after extended absence

Delonte West is back and the Cavaliers are looking forward.
The combination guard returned to practice Wednesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts after being away 12 days to attend to personal matters, but did not address the media.
“He’s a big part of our team,” small forward LeBron James said. “It was good to see him here and high-spirited.
“He’ll be set back, but we have a veteran ballclub and he knows this system. It won’t take him long.”
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown concurred, going so far as to say West is still battling Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic for the “wide open” starting shooting guard spot.
“I don’t think it will set him back that much,” Brown said. “Obviously, any time you miss, it sets you back a little bit.”
Brown was uncertain if West would suit up for tonight’s exhibition game against the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena.

No winless worries

The Cavaliers are 0-3 in the exhibition season, but they’re not concerned.
“I’m not going to sacrifice what I’m trying to do rotation-wise or injury-wise just to get a win,” Brown said. “Having said that, I hope we get at least one or two in the preseason.”
Counting tonight, Cleveland has five exhibition games left before the regular season opens Oct. 28 in Boston.
“It matters, but not as much as the regular season,” James said of getting a victory in the preseason. “We just want to get better.”

Sasha time

Pavlovic, who missed a week with a sprained ankle, went through a full practice. Whether he plays tonight won’t be decided until after the team’s morning shootaround.
“I feel very good,” Pavlovic said. “It’s a little sore, but once I get loosened up, it feels good.”

Handshake deal

 Though choreographer Damon Jones was traded to Milwaukee, the Cavaliers are continuing some of their elaborate pregame handshakes.
“He was the guy, but I’m going to keep it going,” James said.

Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rickn@ohio.net.

TONIGHT

WHO: San Antonio at Cleveland
WHAT: Preseason game
TIME: 7 o’clock
WHERE: The Q
TV/RADIO: No TV; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM
 

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