LOS ANGELES — J.J. Hickson does not fish for compliments from coaches. But he’ll take them when they’re lobbed his way.
Recently, Nuggets coach Michael Malone texted Hickson as a technological pat on the back. Hickson’s playing time, once plentiful, had pretty much dried up. Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Jokic have played all of the center minutes available. But in practices, Hickson’s work ethic remained high.
“It’s not easy,” Malone said. “J.J.’s a vet, been in the league, been on some good teams, and put up some good numbers. And for him to be playing behind two young players, he could have been (mad) and had an attitude. But not at all from J.J. He’s stayed engaged, he’s worked hard, he’s been a pro.”
Hickson, however, did play extended minutes in the Nuggets’ game against the Lakers because the team was without rotation players Lauvergne and Jokic, who both missed the game because of lower back strains.
Asked about the text, Hickson smiled.
“It’s definitely appreciated,” he said. “It’s gratifying to myself to get in the gym and work for myself and for my teammates and stay ready. When the head coach and the coaching staff recognize it, it’s even that much better.”
Firing back. Speaking to Lakers media Monday, coach Byron Scott said after his team worked out Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay prior to the draft, he “didn’t think he was a guy who made great decisions.”
Nuggets coach Malone fired back Tuesday. In the midst of an answer covering how the staff is handling Mudiay’s growth, the coach slipped this in: “Unlike some others, we feel that he is a point that can make good decisions.”
