J.R. Giddens: Main goal not the NBA, but “to be the best person I can”

December 8, 2010

Over at Real GM, they’re taking a bit of a detour from their NBA focus to present an interview with J.R. Giddens, guard with Asseco Prokom Gdynia and formerly of BiE alma mater University of New Mexico.

After an infamous bar fight in which he was stabbed, Giddens transferred from the University of Kansas to New Mexico, where he was the undisputed team stud in 2006-07 and 2007-08, playing over 30 and 32 minutes per game in the two seasons. Giddens was taken as the last pick of the first round in the 2008 NBA Draft, but couldn’t stick with the Boston Celtics. After spending time with the D-League Utah Flash, a cup of coffee with the New York Knicks in 2010 and finally with the Sacramento Kings’ summer league squad, Giddens’ (and Bobby Brown’s) agent had his client take a deal to play with Poland’s Euroleague club.

Thus far in Euroleague play, Giddens has been good for 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game (while also occasionally serving as a rare bright spot on a pathetic BallinEurope fantasy basketball team); after three games with Gdynia in the Polish national league, the former Lobo leads in ppg and overall player rating.

Cumulative, Giddens’ averages through 11 Euroleague, VTB United League and domestic games are 11.9 points and 5.3 while he’s shooting 50.1% overall; his top effort this season came in Euroleague game one, when J.R. shot 9-of-9 inside the arc for 20 points, plus 10 boards and three steals.

Check out Real GM for Giddens’ thoughts on Asseco Prokom’s Euroleague woes (they’re lacking chemistry — though they have won two in a row now), quality of Euroleague versus D-League play (Giddens is impressed with the EL), and how he likes Gdynia (the seafood there rules, apparently).

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This post was published on December 8, 2010
Iverson and Beşiktaş come back, hold off Matt Walsh, beat Asvel Basket for first Eurocup winTwo takes on the European experience
Comments: 3
    • Stonegiant
      14 years ago

      Talking about basketball JR’s name came up, had to defend him a bit. A few nonths back I was shooting at Venice courts he showed up with two guys, one a complete douce, the other dude an ok guy. They steped onto the court I was shooting on and started 21, so I played, just looking to break a sweat, but little douce kept shooting in and popping the ball thinking I was slow cause I’m 6 1 245, once I realized he thought he was special I easily side stepped the douce at will on my drives. Douce’s reaching for the ball only made it easier. Again I was just finishing up a workout and not to serious, but douce was serious. JR was playing and wanted to really make the other guy he came with look bad and he did, other guy looked hung over. Well douce got my blood up, so I locked down my defense, that day my shot was not dropping, but my defense is always sick, I shut douce down completely, as I do everyone I play against, and yes even the pro’s who venture to venice. It is all about footwork, and foot speed. I wore out douce, who eventually shut his douce hole up, and I helped to wear the other dude who sat down gasping for air. JR watched how I side stepped raising the ball out of the defenders reach and he tried the same move right into traffic, as 21 is always has traffic in the lanes, and he kept position, maintained ball control, and finished. I could tell it seemed a new way to drive and finish for him as he was a bit surprised himself at his aggressiveness and keeping the ball high and going to the rim rather than bring it up from a low position to the rim, he entered into traffic ball high. Anyone can go strong to the hole when the man is beat, but to go into a mass of defenders and maintain is not easy, he pulled it off. Finally it came that I was defending him everyone backed away to let us go at it, as I said my footwork and foot speed it pretty sick, and I don’t think he really expected that from me, but I play in your chest, I don’t lean one way or the other, I don’t put one foot forward or one back, I am in your chest both feet square. You go right, my foot half steps and I get right back in front of you. My reverse is faster than most peoples forward, and I held nothing back from JR. I am pretty sure he remebers driving on me, everyone who does remembers because no one can beat me, if I decide it to be the case. He came hard, re-ajusted, came hard re-ajusted. I am a solid 245, and at 6 1 hard to go thru, he could not, no one can really. Long story short, he did not score on me, but came very close, the ball barely rimmed out. He really wanted to score on me and didn’t. He did not know me, but those at venice know when I lock down I don’t get beat. I pulled a groin that drive against him, it still hurts today, he made me pay physically. It is absolute bull that he does not drive enough, or well enough, he almost scored on me, and probably should have. My defense is not fancy, and involves no tricks, I stay square and am in your chest at half court all day long. Once he felt my pressure he cranked it up in return. I bench over 4 plates and he banged hard and with control, he needs more of that kind of fierce play work out. Under control fundemental footwork dribbling with shoulder down delivering blows, pounding and dribbling, quick adjustment dribbling, pound again, pound, pound, pound, and he has the skills and the strength, I just don’t think the guy has ever had enough consistent reps. In college he just ran right by everyone, but in the nba the defenders have lateral foot work and speed and stay in front of him, but he can pound. He must develope that aspect of game, cause no one is gonna stand around and let him sky to rim the like in college, he has got to pound. Paul Pierce developed that aspect of his game early, time for JR as well. JR does not get to the line much for a guard, that’s cause he doesn’t pound it right into traffic, and he actually can. JR’s defense needs improvement, in his mechanics, that is all. Once he developes the proper footwork and learns to operate his defense through it, no one will go by him or through him. His long legs and small torso make his poor defense foot mechanics stand out even more. Again He needs to pound on defense as well and get those reps in. He needs to keep both feet square and home, when commit half drop quick lateral step rather than one big step. One big step, he is beat, two lateral quick drop steps he is right back in front of the ball handler. With those long active arms his steals would double just by staying in a upright square position defensively. JR’s range that afternoon was excellent once he got warmed up, he is a great shooter, not good, but great, and when he develops the pound drive aspect he will realize that the defenders have to dig in and prepare for his chest contact, that is when he can simply shoot over them, just like Paul. Paul has earned the respect that he will pound it into your chest so he simply starts a drive, defenders digs in, then Paul steps back and shoots over them, JR could have that easily. He has got to get his stuff together this year, or it might be to late for his game. Basketball IS a contact sport when under control, proper foot work, along with foot speed, allows players to contact fiercly, and man would JR’s game improve. Defensively he needs to tie a rope from ankle to ankle the width of his shoulders and learn to go right left forward and backwards from the waist down while keeping his entire upper body square to his opponenet, that is how those arms will be in the proper position always to pop the ball, if he can tighten those legs, his defense would improve, and that alone would get him back onto the celtics roster. JR if you read this, watch T Allen’s defensive footwork last year for Boston, in the chest, square upper body, quick foot work, never over extending the leg reach, you do that, you will be exactly what the coaches want from you. And not once in awhile everytime on the court, be in the chest, square, cause heres the trick, when you chest up somebody, they are gonna chest up on you, and your game can more than handle that, you actually improve. All this I say is obvious but above all else JR needs to be consistent, in this, the coaches need to know that when he is on the court he will be a defensive wall. His offense is ok, his defense needs work, and it is just mechanical.
      So to the dummy who thinks JR is on his way down, as I told you, he is strong in traffic, and can handle contact. And his shooting is very good, from what I saw that afternoon his shooting form has no flaws, his shooting mechanics were very impressive, his foot work mechanics, not so much. Somebody get his legs mechanically together, one off season, and he’s a all star. And as for his tough guy attitude, I was ready to pound douce that afternoon, and I did get rough with JR in our exchange, he was totally cool, if he were a jerk it would have come out trust me. I chested him from beyond the three all the way to just outside the paint were he shot from, inch by inch, pound by pound, and he responded like a competitor and a man. I did not know until after we played a friend was laughing at me for playing so hard against a first round draft pick, but he knew I shut down everyone, and in JR’s cause it cost me a groin injury. Tighten up those damn feet JR will ya, under the shoulders always, toes forward, chest out, and get a bit reckless on drives in the paint, you’ll get the call or the bucket, most likely both.

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  1. radallo
    14 years ago

    enough to pick JR in my fantasy team this week 😉

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  2. radallo
    14 years ago

    …bad idea.. 🙁

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