Quotes from the Nursery
Posted by Brendan Jackson on Jan 5, 2010
I thought I’d kickoff Tuesday morning (it’s coming, did you bring your coat?) with a little stuff on the young guys straight from their own mouths (or Doc’s). The Globe put out a nice conglomeration of quotes from J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, and Lester Hudson. They do the journalism part, I do commentary. Isn’t life wonderful?
Giddens on being hesitant:
“I’m out here trying to get more minutes and show Doc [Rivers] and my teammates they can trust me,’’ Giddens said. “So I think I’m probably overthinking at times, but I’m going to settle down and get that under wraps.
“Next time I hit the court, I’ll be more mature and get better with time.’’
I’m not sure how much maturity he can gain with one start, albeit successful, under his belt but at least he knows he has an overthinking problem. In a league that seems to reward over-confidence (I’m looking at your love for Nate Robinson, Mitch), I’m glad J.R. is being reserved to a certain extent. Still, that needs to change now that he’s in the starting line up- and it seems like he’ll be there again for at least the next game against the Heat. I would love to see J.R. shake his man once, accept an alley-oop pass, or have one thunderous dunk in transition. He is so animated on the bench when his teammates do well, I want his to do the same for him, and I want that same kind of excitement on the floor- at least while he’s going to be getting minutes.
Billy Walker on his potential opportunity:
“Some guys I know get a lot of playing time but at the same time, they’re not winning,’’ said Walker, who was recalled from NBADL Maine after a nine-game stint when a knee infection led Pierce to undergo two arthroscopic procedures and miss the past five games. “If anything, you don’t want to be a loser. That’s just something that you have to deal with.
“Sometimes you get complacent, playing behind guys that seldom miss games, but you’ve just got to be focused and ready to step up because something like what Paul had could happen at any time.’’
While I’m not sure if admitting you can get complacent is a good thing, that aside, Walker always seems to do and say the right thing. During the offseason, he toured Boston making charity appearence after charity appearence and saying to reporters how excited he was about the upcoming season. Complacency aside, I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if I had a devestating injury that more often than not, cuts down guys like me in their prime (carpal tunnel?). But Walker keeps pluggin’ along, saying the right things; especially: “If anything, you don’t want to be a loser.” Referencing his PT versus some of the guys he came out in the draft with who are getting more PT on 500 or below teams. That right there is a coaches dream. If Walker had any shred of “me-first” he could be a cancer in the locker room (until he got cut and then got associated with a bad rap) but he’s not and I respect him for that. When he came into college, his hype nearly rivaled that of Michael Beasley. His scouting report likened him to Vince Carter, only more athletic. Now, the kid with so much promise is watching his buddy B-Easy down in Miami getting starter’s minutes while he’s the leading scorer for the Maine Red Claws. Well, here’s hoping this chance to play finds you well, Billy. It’s about time we cheered another Walker in Green.
Doc on worrying about Lester Hudson:
“He’s got to value the ball better,’’ Rivers said. “Lester’s still in that home run stage, as most young guys are. Most young passers try to make home run passes instead of making the simple, next pass. That’s where we have to get him to.’’
I think this criticism (?) is fair, and I don’t think it’ll affect Hudson’s playing time either way. I think if Lester proves he can put the ball in the hole and bring the ball up the court with little problem, he’ll be able to make the most of his PT. I remember Doc saying similar things about Rondo’s love for the highlight reel affecting his decision making. Something certainly changed. I think Rondo’s highlight reels got more efficient and Doc got more lenient when it came to turnovers. Still, I don’t think Hudson’s getting the Rondo treatment anytime soon (ever).
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