The Kings are clearly exploring their options going into camp, and according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, former Celtic (and more recently, Mavericks’ Summer Leaguer) J.R. Giddens will be joining free agent cast-off Luther Head in Sacramento for training camp. Giddens, too, was signed to a make-good, non-guaranteed contract, but will try to play his way on to the Kings’ regular season roster.
Sacramento appears concerned with filling out their roster with wings, but neither Head nor Giddens would be a candidate for regular playing time. Even if Sacramento doesn’t yet have a clear-cut starter at the three (Omri Casspi? Donté Greene? Francisco Garcia?) they have too many capable players at both positions to warrant giving Giddens a serious look.
It’s not that Giddens is a bad player. He’s still a fringe NBA prospect, even if his instincts do manage to get him in trouble at times. He’s an NBA athlete, a good rebounder for his position, and a decent on-ball defender. A useful, but hardly necessary, offensive player. The fundamental problem with Giddens’ game is that he doesn’t give coaches a reason to play him. He’ll never force his way into a rotation. He’s just a reasonably effective last resort at the end of the bench, with little hope of climbing the ladder without notable improvement in his game.
Still, he’ll vie for that the honor to sit at the end of the Sacramento’s bench, and the one roster spot they have left. For a player like J.R., guaranteed money is the goal, and his ability to hang around in the NBA this season will likely hinge on his ability to impress the Kings.