Byron Scott Is Not Impressed With J.J. Hickson

Let’s just say that Hickson has made a less than favorable impression on his new coach. From the Akron Beacon Journal: “J.J. Hickson went to the bench with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter Tuesday. He didn’t need to get up the rest of the night. Coach Byron Scott’s frustration with Hickson boiled over in the Cavaliers’ final preseason game, an 83-77 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that allowed the Cavs to finish the preseason 6-2. But Scott didn’t care much about the six victories as much as he did the mental lapses that caused Hickson to turn the ball over five times in 20 minutes. Hickson still doesn’t know the Princeton offense, Scott said, and he’s quickly running out of time. ‘He’s one we’re counting on to play a major role in what we’re doing. Right now, from an offensive standpoint, he’s not understanding what we’re trying to do,’ Scott said. ‘That’s disappointing, especially as much as we go through it every day.’ Scott has been passively trying to motivate Hickson throughout training camp. He said last week the starting job at forward was his to lose, and that if he demonstrated an ability to stay focused on defense, he would start. If he didn’t, Antawn Jamison would start.”