Only can hope that Thompson and Casspi turn out like 2 other bums that the experts did not like named Masterson and Carasco.
Yeah, I am talking to you Ken. Been missing lately. Nothing to bitch about ?
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
377Hickson is like Gooden on the intelligence level.
Absolutely hands of stone.
He is the classic example of a guy who gets his numbers playing for a crummy team.
Absolutely hands of stone.
He is the classic example of a guy who gets his numbers playing for a crummy team.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
378SamAmicoFSO Sam Amico
Source said Cavs have been trying to trade Hickson for six weeks. Kings gave best offer. Good one, too. Love Casspi's game.
2 minutes ago
Source said Cavs have been trying to trade Hickson for six weeks. Kings gave best offer. Good one, too. Love Casspi's game.
2 minutes ago
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
380Currently on WKNR. Grant Napier long time radio play by play man for Kings is commenting on Casspi. I will post it. Napier thinks that Casspi is a great competitor and that the Kings needed to get rid of a SF.
Seems like a perfect match between the 2 teams.
Seems like a perfect match between the 2 teams.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
381Kings will be the worst defensive team in the NBA.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
382From SI:
Cavaliers trade J.J. Hickson to Kings for Casspi
J.J. Hickson's athleticism and potential made him a budding NBA star. His inconsistency made him maddening and expendable.
On Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided it was time to move on without him.
Clearing out a logjam at power forward, they traded the enigmatic Hickson to the Sacramento Kings for forward Omri Casspi and a future first-round pick.
Hickson spent three mostly productive seasons in Cleveland, but his days were numbered when the club drafted Texas forward Tristan Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick last week. Hickson was part of the Cavs' core when they won more than 60 regular-season games in consecutive seasons and pushed deep into the playoffs.
And although he may have been Cleveland's most talented player, a tendency to disappear in games and an overall lack of intensity - especially rebounding - frustrated Cavaliers coach Byron Scott last season. Scott was hard and demanded more of Hickson, who finally picked up his game and averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds.
But with Thompson, Antawn Jamison and Samardo Samuels at power forward, someone had to go and it was Hickson, drafted by the Cavs with the No. 19 overall pick in 2008. The Cavs were also seeking a young, wing player to pair with Thompson and No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and they believe they've gotten one in the 23-year-old Casspi, a player they considered drafting when he first made himself available several years ago.
"We like Casspi,'' said Cavs general manager Chris Grant, who wouldn't say if he expects Casspi to start immediately. "He's a tough, athletic, 6-foot-9 kid. He's got a nastiness and fight about him.''
Grant was quick to point out that Casspi, who played two seasons with the Kings, made 47 percent of his 3-point tries from the corner, another weapon for Scott and a target for Irving.
"It gives us a chance to give the guys room to grow on the court together and gives our roster more balance financially moving forward,'' Grant said. "I felt that, where our team is, and where it's headed, that this was the right move for our franchise.''
Casspi became the first Israeli ever to play in the NBA when he was drafted by Sacramento 23rd overall in 2009. The designation came with as much fanfare as it did pressure to succeed from a country that loves basketball. He started 27 games for the Kings, but his minutes were limited playing behind promising youngsters DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Donte Green.
Casspi was excited about coming to Cleveland to play for Scott.
"I know he's a tough coach who likes tough players,'' he said on a teleconference from Los Angeles. "That's good for me.''
He also wondered what Grant meant about him being "nasty.''
"Sometimes I play hard,'' he said with a laugh, "and sometimes I might play too hard.''
The Cavaliers said the first-round pick they obtained is lottery protected in 2012 (Nos. 1-14). The pick is then protected in 2013 (1-13), 2014 (1-12) and 2015-2017 (1-10). If the pick is not conveyed by 2017, then Sacramento will convey its own 2017 second-round pick to the Cavaliers.
Hickson will join a Kings' team undergoing change while dealing with an uncertain future.
On the verge of relocating earlier this year to Anaheim, Calif., the Kings need to build momentum with a strong showing this season for a new arena in Sacramento. NBA Commissioner David Stern and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have all but guaranteed the franchise will relocate if the city doesn't approve to plan to help finance a new arena by March 1, which is usually the deadline for teams to file for relocation for the following season.
The team caused a stir on draft night by acquiring Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette, the high-scoring, highly debated guard whose addition has sparked some interest. The Kings intend to pair Fredette in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans, the league's top rookie in 2009-10. Hickson will certainly improve the frontcourt.
"We're very excited about the opportunity to acquire J.J. Hickson from the Cavaliers,'' Kings GM Geoff Petrie said. "We believe he'll continue to fortify our frontline going forward. He's an improving young player who is just 22 years old. We believe J.J. will be an important complement to our frontcourt and overall roster as well.''
Cavaliers trade J.J. Hickson to Kings for Casspi
J.J. Hickson's athleticism and potential made him a budding NBA star. His inconsistency made him maddening and expendable.
On Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided it was time to move on without him.
Clearing out a logjam at power forward, they traded the enigmatic Hickson to the Sacramento Kings for forward Omri Casspi and a future first-round pick.
Hickson spent three mostly productive seasons in Cleveland, but his days were numbered when the club drafted Texas forward Tristan Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick last week. Hickson was part of the Cavs' core when they won more than 60 regular-season games in consecutive seasons and pushed deep into the playoffs.
And although he may have been Cleveland's most talented player, a tendency to disappear in games and an overall lack of intensity - especially rebounding - frustrated Cavaliers coach Byron Scott last season. Scott was hard and demanded more of Hickson, who finally picked up his game and averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds.
But with Thompson, Antawn Jamison and Samardo Samuels at power forward, someone had to go and it was Hickson, drafted by the Cavs with the No. 19 overall pick in 2008. The Cavs were also seeking a young, wing player to pair with Thompson and No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and they believe they've gotten one in the 23-year-old Casspi, a player they considered drafting when he first made himself available several years ago.
"We like Casspi,'' said Cavs general manager Chris Grant, who wouldn't say if he expects Casspi to start immediately. "He's a tough, athletic, 6-foot-9 kid. He's got a nastiness and fight about him.''
Grant was quick to point out that Casspi, who played two seasons with the Kings, made 47 percent of his 3-point tries from the corner, another weapon for Scott and a target for Irving.
"It gives us a chance to give the guys room to grow on the court together and gives our roster more balance financially moving forward,'' Grant said. "I felt that, where our team is, and where it's headed, that this was the right move for our franchise.''
Casspi became the first Israeli ever to play in the NBA when he was drafted by Sacramento 23rd overall in 2009. The designation came with as much fanfare as it did pressure to succeed from a country that loves basketball. He started 27 games for the Kings, but his minutes were limited playing behind promising youngsters DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Donte Green.
Casspi was excited about coming to Cleveland to play for Scott.
"I know he's a tough coach who likes tough players,'' he said on a teleconference from Los Angeles. "That's good for me.''
He also wondered what Grant meant about him being "nasty.''
"Sometimes I play hard,'' he said with a laugh, "and sometimes I might play too hard.''
The Cavaliers said the first-round pick they obtained is lottery protected in 2012 (Nos. 1-14). The pick is then protected in 2013 (1-13), 2014 (1-12) and 2015-2017 (1-10). If the pick is not conveyed by 2017, then Sacramento will convey its own 2017 second-round pick to the Cavaliers.
Hickson will join a Kings' team undergoing change while dealing with an uncertain future.
On the verge of relocating earlier this year to Anaheim, Calif., the Kings need to build momentum with a strong showing this season for a new arena in Sacramento. NBA Commissioner David Stern and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have all but guaranteed the franchise will relocate if the city doesn't approve to plan to help finance a new arena by March 1, which is usually the deadline for teams to file for relocation for the following season.
The team caused a stir on draft night by acquiring Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette, the high-scoring, highly debated guard whose addition has sparked some interest. The Kings intend to pair Fredette in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans, the league's top rookie in 2009-10. Hickson will certainly improve the frontcourt.
"We're very excited about the opportunity to acquire J.J. Hickson from the Cavaliers,'' Kings GM Geoff Petrie said. "We believe he'll continue to fortify our frontline going forward. He's an improving young player who is just 22 years old. We believe J.J. will be an important complement to our frontcourt and overall roster as well.''
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
383"We like Casspi,'' said Cavs general manager Chris Grant, who wouldn't say if he expects Casspi to start immediately. "He's a tough, athletic, 6-foot-9 kid. He's got a nastiness and fight about him.''
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
384Another trait of JJ- soft as Charmin.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
385Casspi was excited about coming to Cleveland to play for Scott.
"I know he's a tough coach who likes tough players,'' he said on a teleconference from Los Angeles. "That's good for me.''
He also wondered what Grant meant about him being "nasty.''
"Sometimes I play hard,'' he said with a laugh, "and sometimes I might play too hard.''
"I know he's a tough coach who likes tough players,'' he said on a teleconference from Los Angeles. "That's good for me.''
He also wondered what Grant meant about him being "nasty.''
"Sometimes I play hard,'' he said with a laugh, "and sometimes I might play too hard.''
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
386IMO........ Casspi > Klay Thompson or Kawhi Leonard.
That would be 2 first round picks for Hickson. Not bad.
That would be 2 first round picks for Hickson. Not bad.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
388In Casspi's defense, it should be pointed out that the Kings' style has not made it any easier for him to convince his coach - at least when it comes to the offensive side of the game.
The sight of Casspi running from basket to basket, from offense to defense without the ball, has been all too common this season.
According to the same local journalist, "Sacramento has been something of a double-edged sword for Casspi. On the one hand, the team believed in him and gave him a chance to prove himself - something that he was not guaranteed at any other team. On the other hand, the team is in a state of perpetual professional chaos - this season at least - and that makes it almost impossible for him to show what he's capable of."
Appreciate me!
Casspi has expressed his frustration this season in various ways. Sometimes, it has been more implied, such as when he told journalists that "it's not easy being a small forward in this team.' Other times, it has been more overt: "We have to pass the ball more."
After the Kings' victory over Utah last week, he decided to take a more proactive approach.
"The situation in Sacramento isn't like it was for me before," he wrote in his column on his official website. "Coach Paul Westphal has been doing different things in practice, and it has been made certain I'm not in his plans. Taking away the thing I love most - playing basketball - has been hard for me. I know there are a lot of teams, including some strong playoff contenders, who are interested in me for next year. I'm not saying I'm counting the seconds until it's over, but I know that when the season ends, I will have to make some tough decisions. It would be selfish of me to say I want to leave, but I am sure that I'm good enough to play, whether it's for the Kings organization or for another team. I hope I find myself on a team who will appreciate my ability as an athlete and as a human being. The year in Sacramento seemed to start out positive, but unfortunately, it hasn't progressed the way I wanted. I just hope I am appreciated enough here that I they will let me go somewhere else where I can just play basketball."
Since Casspi's website appears in both English and Hebrew, it didn't take long before the managers and fans saw what he had written. They quickly came to realize that, unlike a certain airline that Casspi advertises, from his perspective, Sacramento is far from feeling like home.
Westphal reacted calmly to Casspi's online rant, saying merely that "there's not much doubt that Omri is frustrated and it wouldn't really surprise me that he wants to play. He's a good guy and a good competitor and feels like he shouldn't be coming off the bench."
The fans, in contrast, took Casspi's column to heart. On Sactown Royalty, the official Kings' forum, one fan wrote the following: "Omri cares if he plays and gets upset when he doesn't. That, to me, is admirable. But at a time when we are fighting to keep the Kings in Sacramento, the last thing we want to read about it someone asking to leave."
Other fans were less understanding. "If Omri wants more minutes, he's just going to have to play better," wrote one. "If you can't get ahead of a limited player like Greene in the rotation, then you've only got yourself to blame."
Wait and see
Casspi's outburst even made it into the national press, where some commentators started suggesting teams where the Israeli player might fit in better; Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte. Others, however, were slightly more realistic.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sport wrote that "Casspi is in only the second year of his rookie deal; the Kings have a guaranteed next year followed by a team option for the year after that, plus rights to keep him longer. So, basically, if they don't want to trade him they don't have to.
The good news for Casspi is the situation with the Kings could be very different next year. Alongside an all-but-certain move to Anaheim is rumored to come big changes in terms of coach (and up the front office chain ). That would mean a new system and a chance for Casspi to earn more court time."
In the days after his column was published, Casspi was busy with damage control.
"I'm not angry with anyone and I am not crying; this is just the situation," he told the Sacramento Bee. "Hopefully, next season the situation will be different."
Westphal, for his part, reiterated that he understands Casspi's frustration, but was infuriated by Casspi saying that he wanted to move somewhere with a more team-based mentality. "Maybe that was lost in translation but that's kind of a ridiculous statement," the coach said.
Unfortunately for Casspi, the starting five that Westphal has cobbled together and which has seen the Israeli player relegated to the bench, is turning out to be something of a success story. Without Casspi, the Kings are having a mini-renaissance in the twilight of the season and have won five of the games in which Casspi did not play any part. The next time that Casspi gets any significant amount of court time, it seems, will be when he dons the national team colors at this summer's European Championships.
Next season, in contrast, is a very different story. If the threatened players' strike does not happen and Casspi isn't forced to move back to Maccabi Tel Aviv, he will start the next season, his third in the NBA, with the burden of proof very much on him. No professional athlete likes to stand still - and that's especially true of the first Israeli to grace the NBA, who has already announced that he wants to take his next step forward wearing the colors of a different team.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...-love-1.355638
The sight of Casspi running from basket to basket, from offense to defense without the ball, has been all too common this season.
According to the same local journalist, "Sacramento has been something of a double-edged sword for Casspi. On the one hand, the team believed in him and gave him a chance to prove himself - something that he was not guaranteed at any other team. On the other hand, the team is in a state of perpetual professional chaos - this season at least - and that makes it almost impossible for him to show what he's capable of."
Appreciate me!
Casspi has expressed his frustration this season in various ways. Sometimes, it has been more implied, such as when he told journalists that "it's not easy being a small forward in this team.' Other times, it has been more overt: "We have to pass the ball more."
After the Kings' victory over Utah last week, he decided to take a more proactive approach.
"The situation in Sacramento isn't like it was for me before," he wrote in his column on his official website. "Coach Paul Westphal has been doing different things in practice, and it has been made certain I'm not in his plans. Taking away the thing I love most - playing basketball - has been hard for me. I know there are a lot of teams, including some strong playoff contenders, who are interested in me for next year. I'm not saying I'm counting the seconds until it's over, but I know that when the season ends, I will have to make some tough decisions. It would be selfish of me to say I want to leave, but I am sure that I'm good enough to play, whether it's for the Kings organization or for another team. I hope I find myself on a team who will appreciate my ability as an athlete and as a human being. The year in Sacramento seemed to start out positive, but unfortunately, it hasn't progressed the way I wanted. I just hope I am appreciated enough here that I they will let me go somewhere else where I can just play basketball."
Since Casspi's website appears in both English and Hebrew, it didn't take long before the managers and fans saw what he had written. They quickly came to realize that, unlike a certain airline that Casspi advertises, from his perspective, Sacramento is far from feeling like home.
Westphal reacted calmly to Casspi's online rant, saying merely that "there's not much doubt that Omri is frustrated and it wouldn't really surprise me that he wants to play. He's a good guy and a good competitor and feels like he shouldn't be coming off the bench."
The fans, in contrast, took Casspi's column to heart. On Sactown Royalty, the official Kings' forum, one fan wrote the following: "Omri cares if he plays and gets upset when he doesn't. That, to me, is admirable. But at a time when we are fighting to keep the Kings in Sacramento, the last thing we want to read about it someone asking to leave."
Other fans were less understanding. "If Omri wants more minutes, he's just going to have to play better," wrote one. "If you can't get ahead of a limited player like Greene in the rotation, then you've only got yourself to blame."
Wait and see
Casspi's outburst even made it into the national press, where some commentators started suggesting teams where the Israeli player might fit in better; Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte. Others, however, were slightly more realistic.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sport wrote that "Casspi is in only the second year of his rookie deal; the Kings have a guaranteed next year followed by a team option for the year after that, plus rights to keep him longer. So, basically, if they don't want to trade him they don't have to.
The good news for Casspi is the situation with the Kings could be very different next year. Alongside an all-but-certain move to Anaheim is rumored to come big changes in terms of coach (and up the front office chain ). That would mean a new system and a chance for Casspi to earn more court time."
In the days after his column was published, Casspi was busy with damage control.
"I'm not angry with anyone and I am not crying; this is just the situation," he told the Sacramento Bee. "Hopefully, next season the situation will be different."
Westphal, for his part, reiterated that he understands Casspi's frustration, but was infuriated by Casspi saying that he wanted to move somewhere with a more team-based mentality. "Maybe that was lost in translation but that's kind of a ridiculous statement," the coach said.
Unfortunately for Casspi, the starting five that Westphal has cobbled together and which has seen the Israeli player relegated to the bench, is turning out to be something of a success story. Without Casspi, the Kings are having a mini-renaissance in the twilight of the season and have won five of the games in which Casspi did not play any part. The next time that Casspi gets any significant amount of court time, it seems, will be when he dons the national team colors at this summer's European Championships.
Next season, in contrast, is a very different story. If the threatened players' strike does not happen and Casspi isn't forced to move back to Maccabi Tel Aviv, he will start the next season, his third in the NBA, with the burden of proof very much on him. No professional athlete likes to stand still - and that's especially true of the first Israeli to grace the NBA, who has already announced that he wants to take his next step forward wearing the colors of a different team.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...-love-1.355638
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
389I'm not a Hickson fan and Byron Scott certainly isn't. Thompson at worst is an adaquate replacement. New kid will have to prove himself after long lockout but SF was a huge hole for the Cavs. Seems to me however that we'll never see that #1 draft pick as Kings aren't leaving the lottery anytime soon.....
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
390Seems to me however that we'll never see that #1 draft pick as Kings aren't leaving the lottery anytime soon.....
Think they may be able to trade it ? Sure they could. Use it to move up a spot or two next year for a guy you actually want. Sure they could. At the same time since Hickson is so great according to certain Cavs fans I would expect the Kings to be able to make the playoffs with Evans, Jimmer, Cousins, Salmons, and Thornton.
Think they may be able to trade it ? Sure they could. Use it to move up a spot or two next year for a guy you actually want. Sure they could. At the same time since Hickson is so great according to certain Cavs fans I would expect the Kings to be able to make the playoffs with Evans, Jimmer, Cousins, Salmons, and Thornton.