It seems as though just about every player on the roster has been extensively talked about this offseason except J.J. Hickson, who's signing was a surprising move that was under appreciated as we drooled over free agents who didn't end up here, and agonized over the Batum situation. For all the talk about Meyers Leonard, smart money says that Hickson will end up playing more minutes. I have hopes for Leonard, but he's raw, a little thin, and foul prone. I don't want to overlook the many grains of salt that accompany his end-of-season performance (tanking teams, depleted roster, lots of shots, incompetent guard play, etc), but Hickson undeniably played well and showed that he could log heavy minutes at the 4 and even the 5. I'm excited to see what a Hickson/Aldridge frontcourt looks like. It may fall short on defense and size, but it should be athletic and offensively explosive.

I know that Meyers Leonard (hopefully) represents the future next to Aldridge, but come the regular season, I think we'll see a lot more J.J.