J.R. Giddens Seems To Have Already Lost Doc Rivers

Obviously it’s too early to declare that Giddens is dead to Doc Rivers as a viable role player coming off the bench this season. That said, the fact that he didn’t play a until absolute garbage time at the end of the game doesn’t bode well for the second year player, which is curious when you consider that A) Bill Walker is out for the next couple months, B) Tony Allen is recovering from ankle woes and is, well, Tony Allen, and C) Brian Scalabrine has been forced into the small forward spot, a role in which he is not ideally suited to play against quicker, more athletic players. One would think that the circumstances outlined above would give Giddens some minutes to prove himself. Not necessarily, and I’m not sure I even disagree with Doc Rivers for keeping Giddens on the pine in favor of others competing for some valuable run time.

Here’s why: From what I’ve seen over the last year and change, Giddens as an NBA player doesn’t seem to do anything particularly well. Think about it. Is he above average as a shooter? At passing, or defense, or rebounding ,or handling the ball, or creating his own shot off the dribble? No to all of the above. In summation: J.R., have you ever been to Portland, Maine? Quaint city. Clean. You’re going to love it up there…(as a quick aside, I spoke to J.R Giddens and Lester Hudson after the game and will be rolling out a piece within the next day or two regarding their staggeringly different approaches and attitudes at this point in time).

Glen Davis’s Weight Loss Adds Upside

Here’s the big question surrounding Glen Davis’s off-season weight loss: What will it add specifically to his game? Here’s my answer, based on what I’ve seen thus far this preseason: More than anything else, the significant amount of lost weight allows Baby to get to spots on the floor much quicker, meaning he can better get into position to draw offensive fouls, to rotate more efficiently on defense, to get to the right place to grab a rebound, to be there in time to set an effective pick…the possibilities are seemingly endless. This is not to say that Davis has done any or all of these things thus far. The point is that he is now more physically able to hit these spots on the floor a bit more quickly with his slimmer frame, which adds some further meaningful upside to his game. Lastly, the slimmer (all things being relative) Davis also now seems better at putting the ball to the floor and making a quick drive to the basket when spotting a hole in the opposing defense.

Rondo still can’t shoot

Okay, the preseason is obviously still too young to draw any meaningful conclusions. That said, although Rondo’s shooting form appears different - most notably with the right elbow tucked in - what has remained the same has been where the ball has arrived at the rim. In other words, short, wide left, wide right, but otherwise not frequently enough in the hole. Much was made about the fact that Rondo was personally coached by all-world shooter Mark Price over the summer. It’s worth noting that Price did the same personal coaching job on Marquis Daniels the summer before that and Daniels then went out and shot 25% from deep waters. Seriously. Look it up. It’s also worth noting that the Nets gave Rondo much daylight from downtown all day, so it appears that the rest of the league remains unconvinced of Rondo’s outside shot until he makes them pay and thus convinces them otherwise.

Some NBA Coaches Still Get Worked Up About Bad Calls in the Pre-season

Early in the second half, after Brook Lopez was whistled for a loose ball foul (deservingly so, by the way), New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank flipped his lid and went on a profanity laden tirade that would have made Bobby Knight proud. Frank remained inconsolable long after the call and just wouldn’t let it go (Rondo basically had to nudge him out of the way to in-bound the ball). The whole extended episode made me laugh because after all, this is the preseason, when winning isn’t exactly imperative (even for a guy with his job on the line, like Frank). When you add in the fact that Franks was harassing replacement officials, it makes it all the more amusing. You get the sense that Frank is that guy who s creams at teenaged McDonalds employees when they forget to throw in the napkins ("Dammit! Do you expect me to wipe my hands on my *&^%ing pants?!?! Do you?!? Get me the manager, pimples! NOW!!!") No wonder his players tend to tune him out.

Yi Jianlian Has Evidently Worked on His Acting Skills

Driving to the basket generally untouched, Ji screwed up the shot anyway but then tried to sell a foul call by screaming as if he’d been shot in the face. To his dismay, even the replacement refs didn’t buy it. Regardless, it was pretty entertaining to see Jianlian unveil his version of the veteran acting job. Next thing you know, Yi will be breaking out the Allen Iverson This Smells Like Extremely Stinky Cheese face or the Tim Duncan I’m Astonished That You Have The Absolute Gall To Call Me For That Foul expression.

As for the game itself, the Celtics prevailed 100-93. Pierce led the starters with 25 while House and Daniels chipped in off the bench with 13 and 9 points respectively. Garnett looked fluid, shooting 6-for-8 from the field to go with 6 rebounds in 21 minutes. Overall, the biggest takeaway from the game for me is that Daniels looks like a real find for the team. He continues to play with an intelligence and aggressive grace (look at how easily he navigates himself and the ball through heavy traffic to the hoop) that was definitely lacking from the bench last year. It remains early yet but stay tuned for some more developments as the preseason wears on.