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Last Piece of the Puzzle

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Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#1 » by Baseline Runner » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:43 am

A few years ago our big weakness was outside shooting and point guard play. Well now we have 3 PGs and a glut of guys that can hit the three. Mo is one of the most accurate and efficient shooters in the league and I still can't believe we got him for basically nothing.

So what is our major weakness right now? Inside scoring. Specifically I'd like to get a player that is athletic, quick and can finish down low. Someone who moves well without the ball and gets easy dunks from Lebron's passes when he gets open. Someone like a poor man's version of Amare Stoudamire. Who that player would be I don't know but he'd be perfect for the Cavs (maybe JJ Hickson in a few years). He'd keep the offense fluid while not clogging the lane for Lebron, and he'd keep defending big man honest. With guys like AV and Ben Wallace playing, Duncan and Garnett can just collapse on Lebron shutting him down. But if you had Amare-light they wouldn't be able to do that, making the game easier for Lebron.
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#2 » by B Mac » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:50 am

How awesome would it be if Hickson progressed extremely fast and turned into that type of player at some point this season? Its possible, but still not probable. I'd be happy with 10 minutes a game of energy, rebounding, and defense out of him this season.
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#3 » by columbussports » Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:24 pm

Hickson had a great summer but he is prolly 2 years away before we see his talent on a night in and night out basis. It just a guess who will be better down the road, Hickson or Gibson, will Hickson develop into a solid player or will Gibson develop a complete game first? I believe you figure that out in the first half and go after the weaker players replacement. I really think the cavs are thinking they can get a star in the 2010 class to go with lebron and they are trying to keep that cap space free so a two year contract guy would be ideal. i think the cavs could target bosh or amare in that class, bosh isnt completely sold on toronto and in two years the suns will be in rebuild mode and amare may not wanna be a part of that
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#4 » by eyejayem » Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:39 pm

I think the best we can hope for is for JJ to come out at the end of the season and play an important role like Gibson did his 1st year.
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#5 » by Icefire10304 » Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:47 pm

Just how good is this Hickson guy? What are his strengths and weaknesses? Is he athletic?
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#6 » by columbussports » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:44 pm

NBA Comparison: Chris Wilcox
Strengths: Very strong and mobile big man ... In addition to great upper and lower body strength, he has a very long wingspan, making his package that much more promising ... He has a nice first step that he utilizes effectively from the high-post, where he faces up and takes the ball to the hoop ... Shows nice patience and understanding of how to get open in the post, working from block to block to receive a pass in the best possible scoring position ... His repertoire in the post is decent and has shown some nice development; he can throw a variety of hook-shots, spin moves and up & unders at his defender from the block ... He has a fadeaway that is very difficult to defend because he gets it off with a mix of shoulder fakes ... Can be a difficult match up for bigger post players, because he has the body to mix it up inside, but also the speed and willingness to run the floor effectively ... Uses his length to block a number of shots and alter many others around the basket ... His broad shoulders allow him to clear space in the paint giving him a big advantage when it comes to rebounding ...
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Re: Last Piece of the Puzzle 

Post#7 » by Witness23 » Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:08 pm

I think our last piece of the puzzle is a scoring big man that can defend, make free throws, score with back to basket, and rebound. now he doesnt have to be great at those things but be able to do a little bit of all of it when he comes into play 15 minutes a game. i would really like channing frye, david lee, or haslem.

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