Cavaliers first-round pick J.J. Hickson might not be back in coach Mike Brown's good graces.
The rookie forward missed a bus to the shoot-around for the Washington preseason game on Oct. 24 in Columbus. He was reportedly fined. Hickson was held out of Tuesday's season opener in favor of Lorenzen Wright.
Brown spoke freely about Hickson being late for the bus, which was out of character for the coach. He said he was trying to send the rookie a message.
"I did that so he had to see what it was like to answer questions about it from you guys and see his name in the paper about missing a team bus," Brown said.
Brown said he's had very few players late for the bus or any flights since he's arrived on the scene.
"I'm extremely lucky," he said. "That has very seldom happened. That's because of the two leaders we have here -- Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas) and LeBron (James) -- they've beaten me on every bus and every flight since I've been here."
CELTICS 90, CAVALIERS 85: Twenty-two turnovers, including 12 in the second half, doomed the Cavs in the season opener.
They were held to just 39 percent shooting in the second half by the defensive-minded Celtics. It didn't help that All-Star forward LeBron James was saddled with foul trouble and was forced to the sidelines.
He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
They played extremely hard, but not very efficiently. Some were calling it Game 8 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Celtics ousted the Cavs, four games to three, in the East semifinals last May.
