The Cavaliers held their first official practice of the 2008/09 season yesterday, and were pleasantly surprised by what they saw, or felt. Mike Brown, whose long, drawn out practices have worn at veterans at times in the past , announced that only one of the two workouts per day would be "contact" practices, allowing for some of the older guys to stay fresher and avoid wear and tear. This is crucial for the Cavaliers, especially in the front courth where age is beginning to become a concern.
Both Cavaliers big men - Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace - had back issues late last season that surely affected their play during the playoffs. While the Cavs addressed the age "problem" among their big by drafting J.J. Hickson and Darnell Jackson, both are likely not ready to make a huge impact this season, though I expect Hickson to become more and more important to the Cavaliers as the season wears on.
The old guys won't be the only ones to benefit from the kinder, gentler, Mike Brown training camp. LeBron James is likely to see some extended rest during training camp in order to stay fresh after a summer filled with basketball.
For the Cavaliers it is going to be all about staying healthy, especially up front, and to Mike Brown's credit he is understanding that right from the start. While the Cavs have plenty of depth in the back court, an injury to Wallace or Z could be a big blow.
0 recs | 3 comments
Speaking of Hickson and Jackson..
Whats the buzz on these two? How did they do in the rookie league? What are those “in the know” saying? ………………..Any body out there? Can you hear me Major Tong?
Juannieboy - October 1, 2008
Hickson was great in the summer league, but he won’t get many touches on the block during the real campaign. We’ll see if he knows how to make an impact off the ball once the regular season starts.
Jackson is probably around just to be a hard worker. Maybe he blossoms, but the 5 and 5 and put up in summer league is probably as good as his numbers will ever be in the league. Still, he’s a capable warm body at the 4 if Ben Wallace’s corpse decomposes.
LeCavs Matt - October 1, 2008
I think a little bit more...
about Hickson’s potential value this season than Matt, but his point is well taken. The Cavaliers have an experience void between Z/Ben and the two young guys. What the Cavs do have, of course, is LeBron, who will likely see time at the 1,2,3 and 4 this season, depending on what the team needs that night.
John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) - October 1, 2008
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