We'll know the fate of Giddens today...

[Roy Hobbs]

The Celtics have until tonight at 6:30pm to decide whether they're going to pick up J.R. Giddens' $1,100,640 option for next season.

I can't imagine that possibly happening.  The Globe feels similarly:

Today is also the deadline for teams to exercise their third-year option on players in their rookie deals, and it appears the Celtics will not pick up reserve guard J.R. Giddens.

Giddens, taken with the team’s first-round pick in 2008 (30th overall), signed a standard two-year contract, with options for the third and fourth seasons. But he has played in just eight NBA games. So far this season, Giddens has played 12 minutes in two games.

Link.

I wish things had worked out differently, but it looks like Giddens' is going to turn out to be one of Danny's rare misfires in the draft.

[greenwise]

JR will leave this team very soon, maybe even before june 

[2short]

Yes Roy for all the really good picks danny has done Giddens is proving to be a boo boo.  I actually think TA is better for our team and with the $$ Giddens is getting it actually hurts his chances.  My guess is Danny felt he could give Rondo extra because he was going to have $1M off the books soon.

[Fan from VT]

Yeah, giddens is probably more valuable this year as an expiring contract. and it's not like he'll get enough playing time this year to really impress anyone, so if he suddenly "gets it" in practice, it's not like there will be a lot of teams trying to get him.

[Bankshot]

What about Walker?  Does he have an option that needs to be picked up? 

[Brickowski]

No, because Walker wasn't a first round pick.

[the_Bird]

I'd be surprised if JR makes it through the season.

There's a reason Billy Walker got spot minutes last year, and JR did not.  There's a reason that Hudson comes into the blowouts with eight minutes left, and JR comes in with three.  He's absolutely the last man on the roster, and would not be dressing if there were not the injuries behind him.  He's shown so far all of TA's dumb mistakes while not having any of the corresponding highlights, unless you want to overvalue a single 13-rebound performance in a game that doesn't count.  He plays fast and out of control whether it's in Summer League, Preseason, or Garbage Time. 

He's of far less help to this team than Pruitt was, and they let him go without a second thought.

Maybe Giddens COULD learn to play at this level, but he needs to learn how to play in control, it seems that the game needs to slow down for him.  Maybe a few months in the D-League will help, but I'm doubtful. 

The only positive thing I've seen from Giddens is that he makes TA look not half bad.

[Roy Hobbs]

What about Walker?  Does he have an option that needs to be picked up? 

Not until next summer.

[Fafnir]

Gidden's isn't worth the option, he just hasn't shown enough in the time he's been here. If we want him to stick around I'm sure we can get him on the FA market.

[hwangjini_1]

I'd be surprised if JR makes it through the season.

There's a reason Billy Walker got spot minutes last year, and JR did not.  There's a reason that Hudson comes into the blowouts with eight minutes left, and JR comes in with three.  He's absolutely the last man on the roster, and would not be dressing if there were not the injuries behind him.  He's shown so far all of TA's dumb mistakes while not having any of the corresponding highlights, unless you want to overvalue a single 13-rebound performance in a game that doesn't count.  He plays fast and out of control whether it's in Summer League, Preseason, or Garbage Time. 

He's of far less help to this team than Pruitt was, and they let him go without a second thought.

Maybe Giddens COULD learn to play at this level, but he needs to learn how to play in control, it seems that the game needs to slow down for him.  Maybe a few months in the D-League will help, but I'm doubtful. 

The only positive thing I've seen from Giddens is that he makes TA look not half bad.

good summary of the situation. giddens had little besides the high-hopes of folks here at cb...myself included.

if he is cut, the celtics will do just fine.

but i guess the real question now becomes who will replace him on the roster.

[Brickowski]

He's toast

[Cman]

I can't imagine the Celtics pick up JR's option.  The only reason they would is if there is something major that they are seeing in practice (or in the locker room) that just isn't translating into on-the-court play, but we would have heard at least whispers of this by this point if it were the case.

[Chris]

I would be shocked if they picked up the option.  Right now, Gidden's only real value is as an extra body in practice, and as another small expiring contract to add to the others in a possible trade.

[the_Bird]

I can't imagine the Celtics pick up JR's option.  The only reason they would is if there is something major that they are seeing in practice (or in the locker room) that just isn't translating into on-the-court play, but we would have heard at least whispers of this by this point if it were the case.

All the whispers have been in the other direction; remember those rumors last year that they were looking to trade him for a draft pick?

[nickagneta]

So the total of Celtics' expiring contracts increases by $1.1 million at 6:30 this evening? Can't say it would be a surprise.

As for the vaunted draft expertise of one Daniel Ainge I'm not sure his prowess is so great:

2003 Dahntay Jones and Troy Bell - which he traded away for Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks

2004 Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Brandon Hunter

2005 Gerald Green, Oriene Green, Ryan Gomes

2006 Randy Foye - who was then traded for Sebastian Telfair

2007 Gabe Pruitt, Jeff Green - traded to Seattle with others for Ray Allen and rights to Glen Davis

2008 J. R. Giddens, Semih Erden

2009 Lester Hudson


Now granted, Danny did turn some of these draft picks into Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, eventually, and was also good enough to target Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and Rajon Rondo as talents and trade for their rights, but strictly as a drafter of talent I would say he is okay. Nothing special. He has made his bed with this current team through trades, IMO, not through drafting.

I mean end results of draft day and draft day trades have been exceptional but without the words  "draft day trades" I can't use the word exceptional. There have been a bunch of bad acquisitions on draft day as well.

Brandon Hunter
Marcus Banks
Sebastian Telfair
Oriene Greene
Gerald Green
J. R. Giddens
Gabe Pruitt
Brandon Hunter
Tony Allen

For six years of drafting and acquiring, that's a lot of misses as well. The thing is for every one of his misses he hits huge. Overall the effect is excellent but whether he can continue to parlay his current talent into draft day giant successes will remain to be seen now that the well of good young talent is running dry.