Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Portland Trail Blazers forward/center J.J. Hickson stopped himself before questioning his team's coaching staff over defensive failures during an ugly loss to the Orlando Magic.

J.J. Hickson took a not-so-veiled shot at the coaching staff.

I asked Hickson why Orlando had such an easy time executing it's mid-pick-and-roll plays, which exposed the Blazers' big men. Hickson was blunt with his assessment.

"The way we guarded it,'' Hickson said. "I don't feel like we adjusted to it very well. It was something that just killed us all night, all game.''

So I asked: What could the Blazers have done better with that play?

"I can't really put my finger on it,'' Hickson said. "We have people in place to make those adjustments. It works both ways; we have to do better job as players and ... um ...''

It was almost as if Hickson realized he was getting into quicksand. He back-peddled and didn't directly name the coaching staff.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter