The get to know J.R. Giddens thread.

[Kuberski33]

I'll tell you what also gets my attention -- 8 Rebounds per game for a college 2 or even a 3 is off the charts.

If a 4 or a 5 is doing that in college you're calling him a very good rebounder.

[libermaniac]

check out the giddens conference call:

http://www.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/playoffs-postups.html

seems like a humble yet confident kid. confident about what he can do for this team. not shying away about the questions about his past issue. just remaining positive. i really think hes got a chance to get some burn this year.

TP. That was a pleasure listening to.  You couldn't have scripted better answers from JR.

[bucknersrevenge]

check out the giddens conference call:

http://www.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/playoffs-postups.html

seems like a humble yet confident kid. confident about what he can do for this team. not shying away about the questions about his past issue. just remaining positive. i really think hes got a chance to get some burn this year.

also check out docs conference call after that illuminating little convo just talking about why they liked the kid and what doc likes about him. again this kids defense is legit and that is the very first thing doc mentions about him that could ean him minutes right away.

another interesting part is right at about the 10min mark of the conference call when i think bulpett asks him how many of the guys they looked at were still there at 30. doc answers 2. giddens and one other guy he would not name. but then goes on to say "we may still get him..." its obvious now i think who hes referring to . it also illustrates an interesting point. they had giddens rated higher than walker(although at the end doc says there was a debate about "one other guy"). the knee may have had something to do with it. either way they get both their guys and away we go.

[libermaniac]

I'll tell you what also gets my attention -- 8 Rebounds per game for a college 2 or even a 3 is off the charts.

If a 4 or a 5 is doing that in college you're calling him a very good rebounder.

Yep, and a few years down the line can you imagine a backcourt of Rondo and Giddens?  That's one heck of a rebounding backcourt.

[yupitsme]

Talk about showing love, the Lobo fans are happy for him!

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=203&f=2467&t=2622657

[Bahku]

Talk about showing love, the Lobo fans are happy for him!

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=203&f=2467&t=2622657

Wow ... they love this kid, and the Celtics just picked up a ton of new fans ... pretty cool! Thanks for this post ... TP!

[RockinRyA]

where were you when the playoffs started yupitsme? i certainly missed the GIFs 

i just love ur links.. tp

[orrzor]

I am "waiting for the other shoe to drop" lol. In all seriousness, welcome to the team and hope things turn out well for him.

[scurvmeister]

I love how even though we just won a championship, the Celtics draft conversation page on ESPN.com still has the 2nd most comments, (1st is the Bulls). Last year, I believe our page was in the 10,000s of comments and the next closest team's was like 4,000 or something.

Celtics fans really care about this team.

[greendownunder]

I'm thinking I'll back Danny Ainge's judgement on this one.

His (Ainge) record is too good to ignore, and I think he has well and truly earned the benefit of the doubt here.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

Chalmers has always seemed like a classic college player to me. the kind of guy who excelled in the college game but will drift around the nba in a backup role for a few years. the kind of guy who excells against college players but when matched up against pros isn't athletic enough to hang with them. i.e. the things that look really good about him in college are quickly nullified in the nba. i;m much happier with giddens. between giddens and the trade for walker, considering we came in  picking last in both rounds i'd say the celtics did as good as could be expected, if not better.

[cmoney]

For any of you Giddens doubters, just check out the box score from a recent NIT game ... Cal vs. New Mexico:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore;_ylt=AuDz7kGjDwE01S7KRSewK2wOvbYF?gid=200803190095

Giddens:  26 pts on 10-20 shooting, 13 boards, 6 dimes, 2 steals, 4 TOs

Hardin:  10 pts, 6 boards, 0 dimes.

Anderson (first rounder): 26 pts, 6 rebounds, 3 assists.

excellent sample size.   Four years worth of stats tells me this:

Fairly effective scorer.  Not insanely efficient but not too bad. 
Sick rebounder.  I like that.
Awful FT shooter.  Bad 3pt shooter.  i.e., signs that point to being a bad shooter.  If he could get his FT% to even a poor 70%, and stopped taking 3s altogether, he'd be way better.  I'm actually somewhat impressed he managed a 56% TS% when he's 60% from the line and 30% from the short college 3.

I'll say I'm beginning to warm up to him slightly, and the Walker deal helps.  Still would prefer CDR, though.

[Roy Hobbs]

For any of you Giddens doubters, just check out the box score from a recent NIT game ... Cal vs. New Mexico:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore;_ylt=AuDz7kGjDwE01S7KRSewK2wOvbYF?gid=200803190095

Giddens:  26 pts on 10-20 shooting, 13 boards, 6 dimes, 2 steals, 4 TOs

Hardin:  10 pts, 6 boards, 0 dimes.

Anderson (first rounder): 26 pts, 6 rebounds, 3 assists.

excellent sample size.   Four years worth of stats tells me this:

Fairly effective scorer.  Not insanely efficient but not too bad. 
Sick rebounder.  I like that.
Awful FT shooter.  Bad 3pt shooter.  i.e., signs that point to being a bad shooter.  If he could get his FT% to even a poor 70%, and stopped taking 3s altogether, he'd be way better.  I'm actually somewhat impressed he managed a 56% TS% when he's 60% from the line and 30% from the short college 3.

I'll say I'm beginning to warm up to him slightly, and the Walker deal helps.  Still would prefer CDR, though.

Giddens is a better defender and a better athlete than CDR.  He got chosen to play a role here, which is as a defender and energy player off the bench.  He'll be a good fit.

[Sweet17]

Bill Walker is the better prospect but they want to use Giddens the way they did TA I suspect..

Pete

[Truth Hurts]

Giddens is $2 million cheaper than Tony Allen.

That money can go towards re-signing Posey...and hopefully House and PJ also. They almost have to talk PJ into coming back now. Perk is the only center on the roster, and his shoulders are a disaster waiting to happen.