J.J. Hickson's NBA Destination
Kids, don't try this at home.
My head is pounding after I've spent the last three days - okay, the last hour - trying to figure out where J.J. Hickson is going to go in tomorrow's NBA Draft.
Here's what I came up with ...
I don't know.
Bold, huh? Hey, I don't think anybody else does either. With so much uncertainty after the first two picks (and Miami may not even be a lock to take Michael Beasley with the second pick) and so many potential trades out there, it's made a mockery of most mock drafts.
So instead, I've gathered some info on Hickson's possible NBA destinations. It's not sexy, I know, but it may be more helpful. And that's what I'm here for ... to help.
Here's some basic background. Most of the mock drafts have Hickson being drafted in the 20's. Recently though, N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said he expects Hickson to go somewhere from 10 to 20. And Hickson said his strong workouts were a big reason why he decided to stay in the draft. Perhaps as a reflection of Hickson's stock, ESPN.com's Chad Ford has moved Hickson up from the late first round to New Jersey's pick at No. 21.
That's one possibilty and one of the eight teams Hickson said he'd worked out for during his teleconference early last week. Here's a look at the others.
SEATTLE - The Sonics have the No. 4 and the No. 24. Right now it doesn't look like Hickson will be around for Seattle's second pick. But the Sonics have talked about trading down from their No. 4 spot, and a deal there could land them a pick somewhere in the teens, where Hickson could be a possible choice. See why this is so hard to predict?
PORTLAND - The Blazers have the No. 13 and No. 27 pick and haven't made a secret of their interest in Hickson, recently bringing him in for a second workout. But Portland, which already has LaMarcus Aldridge at the four and is expecting Greg Oden back at center, spend a No. 13 pick on Hickson? Probably not. But they might package their two picks in a deal that could net them a player and a slightly lower pick. Your head's starting to hurt, isn't it?
DENVER - Finally, a team that has a need for inside scoring and a pick in the Hickson range, at No. 20. A nice match, no? Well, unless the Nuggets blow up their roster by dealing Carmelo Anthony, something they say they're not going to do, contrary to plenty of rumors.
PHOENIX - The Suns have a pick in the Hickson range, No. 15, but Phoenix with rapidly decomposing Shaquille O'Neal at center and Steve Nash's back not getting any more sturdy, is in a win now mode. So picking up a power forward to back up Amare Stoudamire doesn't seem likely.
NEW JERSEY - The Nets have the No. 10 and No. 21 picks. They're set on the perimeter, with Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Devin Harris and in sore need of inside scoring. So Ford's prediction of Hickson to the Nets at No. 21 makes sense. Of course, it's believed that the Nets are shopping Jefferson. If they get a proven post player in return, then just forget you ever read this previous paragraph.
(Seeing double? Stay with me, we're hitting the home stretch.
PHILADELPHIA - The Sixers have a pick in the right range - No. 16 - a need for inside scoring punch and a young enough team that they could wait a couple of years for Hickson to develop. A nice match, I'd say. Which means it almost certainly won't happen.
CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers continue their search for the heir to Carlos Boozer, i.e. an inside guy who can score. Ben Wallace is not that guy, trust us. So taking Hickson with the No 19 pick makes sense.
(Like how I backloaded this post with less complicated scenarios. It's called tapering. Olympic athletes do it in training all the time. Which reminds me, Caroline Lind should find out if she's on the Olympic rowing squad on Friday. What's that? Oh yeah, NBA Draft. One more to go.
TORONTO - The Raptors have the No. 17 pick and could sure use another inside guy to go with Chris Bosh. Hickson's NBA-ready body fits the bill and the Raptors brought him in for a second workout on Monday. Of course, Toronto's also feverishly looking to make trades and is dangling its first-round pick out there in several potential packages. A deal for Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal, which would allow Bosh to slide over the No. 4 spot, where he really should be, reportedly fell through..
reportedly fell through. Still, the Raptors really want to unload point guard T.J. Ford, so that No. 17 pick is likely still in play.
See, that wasn't so complicated, was it? Oh yeah, one more thing. Sam Smith of the Sporting News has Hickson going to Utah at No. 23
My prediction? Hickson gets drafted by a team that I haven't even mentioned in this insanely long post.
That would be poetic, wouldn't it?