J.J. Hickson gets out of his slump with big game against Memphis.
Cavs forward J.J. Hickson.J.J. Hickson is back on track, writes News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan. Hickson broke out of his slump with 16 points and five rebounds in the Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over Memphis last weekend.
Until then, Hickson had gone six consecutive games of not reaching double figures in scoring. Before Saturday's performance, he hadn't scored in double figures since Nov. 13 against Indiana.
Some players need a kick in the pants to get motivated.
Others need a hug. Coach Byron Scott said he's not the "warm and fuzzy type."
Hickson, 22, said the best way to get to him is to "call him out."
Whatever Scott was doing, it wasn't working.
"We're trying to find a way to get him going a little more," Scott said. "We have to find a way to make him work. He has so much potential. It's my job to tap into that."
Scott tapped into the right place because Hickson played well against Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph, who made just 1 of 8 shots in the second half. Hickson also scored more in the paint, compared to a recent belief attempt at trying to score from the outside.
"I've been working on my jumper, but I know what my bread and butter is," he said. "I got away from that and settled for jump shots. It's just a matter of mixing it up and taking what the defense gives me."
Told you so
While ESPN and fans alike crowned the Miami Heat before they even played a game, Detroit Pistons forward Tracy McGrady said the Heat would struggle.
The Heat is right where McGrady thought they'd be. It's because LeBron James and Dwyane Wade don't mesh because they're the same type of player, McGrady said to MLive.com. It's hard for them to complement each other.
“Not at all,” he said. “It's tough to get that chemistry. You can't just go somewhere and create that type of chemistry. (James) had that in Cleveland. He had everything going for him. Great energy in the building. He created a great atmosphere. I enjoyed going to Cleveland because the atmosphere was just unbelievable.
“The chemistry he had with his teammates was unbelievable,” McGrady continued. “You can't just go somewhere and create that. You can see it on his face. He's not having fun. I'm so used to him doing all his antics on the basketball court, and he's not doing that. You can see that something is just not right.”
Welcome back
News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes what we all know when it comes to LeBron James and his visit to The Q on Thursday ---- he will be booed like he's never been booed before.
What he can't understand is how he's getting jeered in just about every stop throughout the NBA this season.
The reason, of course, is quite simple. He's one of the most-hated players in the league.
He brought the whole thing on himself with the way he treated his loving fans last summer.
"It is going to be a real hostile environment, I know," James told ESPN.com on Friday. "It is going to be pretty intense."
The Cavs' fans will have an outpouring of venom on Thursday during James' first visit to Cleveland, writes Finnan, but even places such as Memphis, which had nothing to do with "The Decision," are letting James have it with both barrels.
Preach
Local pastor Prince J. Moultry of In Touch for Christ Christian Center in Cleveland. On Fox8.com:
Bishop Moultry used LeBron's impending return as the centerpiece of his Sunday sermon. He said how fans react to James' return on Thursday night at the "Q" will say more about them than it does about LeBron.
"The best way to get over any situation that's not to your liking," the bishop said, "is to kill them with kindness."
Security is expected to be tight at the game. The Cavaliers have indicated that they will not allow fans to bring signs or wear shirts that are demeaning to James or his family.