Cleveland Cavaliers: Ranking The Five Best Centers To Replace Andrew Bogut

3. J.J. Hickson

To build off the two previous big men the Cavaliers could select, J.J. Hickson has a solid ability as a two-way player.

Although the three-point shot isn’t part of his game and his midrange shooting has been inconsistent as late, he has the ability to knock down an open jumper with ease. In the post, his offense is different from Sullinger and Scola in that he uses a spin move and sweeping hooks in the paint to score. Hickson, he has greater leaping ability than Sullinger or Scola, is a player that consistently scores above-the-rim.

In the pick-and-roll, Hickson will be a strong player when asked to roll to the rim and finish.

Defensively, Hickson loves to blitz the pick-and-roll, a tactic sometimes employed by Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue. He has greater mobility on the perimeter than Sullinger and Scola and while he’s not the most agile frontcourt player there is, he’s solid guarding out in space. In the post, Hickson is a big body that looks more bulky than 240 pounds. However, this does prevent him from being backed down with ease in the low post. Hickson, who has both a long wingspan and a solid vertical leap, plays solid on-ball defense in the post and while he isn’t a rim-protector in the purest sense of the term, he does have the ability to alter shots at the rim.

The biggest detriment to his defense is what seems like a desire to put his body in position to get a defensive rebound rather than make the right switch. However, because his physical tools are in tact and he’ll be playing for a defensive-minded coach for the first time since his first stint in Cleveland, I believe he’ll be more impactful on defense than others. On the Cavs, he’ll be playing in a simplified defensive scheme and playing on a championship team could make Hickson more intent on doing the right things than others.

Hickson would return to Cleveland with much fanfare.