As the Wine and Gold get ready for Wednesday night’s matchup with Houston in Sin City, cavs.com caught up with Hickson as he prepares for an encore performance in Game 2 …

Did you expect to play as well as you did in the first game of Summer League?
J.J. Hickson: Being a competitive person, of course I expected to play well. Most of all, I expect to win. But we came three points short and things didn’t go as planned, so we just have to come back tomorrow against Houston and have a better game.

Did you feel comfortable on the floor, going against veterans for the first time?
J.J.: I felt pretty comfortable. I felt there was some good competition on the defensive end, as far as people being bigger and stronger. But that’s something I’ll get more comfortable with in due time. I wouldn’t have made the early jump if I felt that I wasn’t ready, so I felt pretty comfortable overall. It’s all been good.

What’s your goal for the week before Summer League wraps up?
J.J.: Just to win these next four games and leave Las Vegas 4-1.

Summer League isn’t exactly the best place for a “back-to-the-basket” player. Looks like you adapted …
J.J.: I think I had a couple nice back-to-the-basket moves that I scored on. But most of my buckets came from running the floor and knowing where to be in transition and knowing what lanes to run.

One of the most impressive things about you is your footwork and low-post moves. Where did you pick up your moves?
J.J.: Just by watching film of other players and trying to model my game after some of the best big men in the league – implement their games with mine. I’m just trying to take a small part of everyone’s game and try to incorporate it in mine. I haven’t mastered every move yet, but that’ll come in time with me being more comfortable on the block, and just being more experienced.

Do you think you can contribute this year?
J.J.: Yeah, I think I can. I don’t think they would have drafted me if they didn’t think I could contribute. So, whether it’s just being a good practice player or playing a lot of minutes, I’ll do whatever it takes to win. I just want to have a positive impact on this team. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do.

Did you have a feeling about Cleveland after working out with the Cavaliers?
J.J.: I had a pretty good workout for the Cavs. I think I actually had a pretty good workout for a lot of teams, but the Cavs just showed an interest toward me. And it was my first workout of the whole process, so I had good legs and was pretty confident going in. And it worked out.

Do you have any big plans for the off-season in-between Summer League and Training Camp in October?
J.J.: No, I’m just planning on continuing to work out and keep getting better for the season.

Thanks, J.J. Good luck and remember to stay off the craps tables.
J.J.: Of course I will. I’m only 19 years old.