by David Liam Kyle - NBAE/Getty Images

about 1 month ago: CLEVELAND - OCTOBER 6: Shaquille O'Neal #33 of the Cleveland Cavaliers concentrates on a free throw against the Charlotte Bobcats at The Quicken Loans Arena on October 6, 2009 in Independence, Ohio. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

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**Courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers P.R. Staff

HEAD COACH MIKE BROWN

(On first preseason game): "For a first preseason game, the game was pretty entertaining. I played 18 guys tonight and guys played significant minutes. In terms of execution and mentally being into the game and being prepared, I thought everybody was at a high level...It was fun to be a part of tonight with 18 guys."

(What you learned from the game): "I learned that our guys are progressing at a nice pace. We have a lot of work to do before we "arrive" or are at the point where we are really satisfied with where we are going. I thought our guys picked up some things that we are trying to get across to them in a short amount of time. They put in the effort and executed."

(On Shaq's performance): "He fit in well. You can see that on a couple of LeBron's drives, where people are concerned with the spacing out there, that if you take your body off of Shaq, LeBron's going to make the pass and it's going to be a dunk or a foul. On top of that, Shaq knows how to play and how to pass, and Andy knows how to play and how to pass and I think we'll see that often."

(On JJ's performance): "I thought his effort was pretty good. He still has to be a little more physical down on the defensive end without fouling. He also has to box out more. He's so athletic and so talented that he relies on those things. He can score the basketball with his quickness and athleticism, but he's got to do those things that I like such as boxing out and putting a body on someone on the weak side of the floor."

(On playing with Shaq): "It's still early; we are still learning the sets. For it being the first game, I thought we played pretty well as a team, and me and Shaq played pretty well together. It shouldn't be hard for either one of us. We know how to play basketball and we want to win."

(On how long it will take to get chemistry with Shaq): "It doesn't take me long at all. I was able to gain chemistry with Mo really quick last year. I am still learning to understand where he likes to get the ball so the more practices, more games (together), we will get there."

(On what he learned about the team tonight): "Our team is always the same. We are going to play hard and we are going to try to put our team in the best position to win. It is too early to say what type of team we are going to be. We know defense is going to be our staple, and then we are going to go from there."

(On J.J. Hickson's maturity as a player): "It is still early, but J.J. has definitely learned. He is healthy and that is a good thing. He is going to continue to get better and hopefully I can continue to work with him."

(On how effective the pick and roll with Shaq could be): "It can be really effective. It is very tough to navigate through a screen by him. At the same time, we don't want him out on the floor too much. We want him down in the interior where he is going to do most of his work."

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL

(On playing in his first game with the Cavs): "I think it was fun. We were game to kind of just play and take it easy. Everyone got the chance to play. I'm still learning the offense and learning how to play with everybody, but when it's time to open the season, I'll be ready and we will be ready to go."

(On having good chemistry with LeBron): "Yeah, we did. He is a great player and I have a lot of experience playing with great younger players such as him. I'm going to be looking for him and I'm going to be looking for Andy. It's just my job to come here and just fill in the five spot. I'm not looking to take 20 to 30 shots a game. I'm just looking to fill in."

(On making a no-look pass to Anderson Varejao): "I don't think he is really used to that. I told him in the preseason that I might not look at you but I see you. I take pride in trying to be one of the best passing big men in the game. I am going to be looking for Andy, I'm going to be looking for my shooters and I'm going to be looking for everybody. We will be alright once the season starts."

J.J. HICKSON

(On shooting midrange shots): "I felt real good. That's something that I have been working on over the summer: my jump shot from 15 to 17 feet. I've also been working on my form and it felt good tonight."

(On working with LeBron in the offseason): "Yeah, it has helped me a lot. The main thing that he has stressed to me is to not get complacent, just being consistent and to shoot the same shot every time."

(On what Coach Brown was telling him during the game): "As you could see, the whole time coach was talking to me it was all about defense. That's another thing I have to focus on is my defense and staying focused the whole game."