Yesterday it was Tony and Patrick. Today it is Bill Walker's turn to get praised by Doc. (Celtics.com)
What stood out to Rivers today was the play of rookie Bill Walker, who has been attacking the basket relentlessly in the last few days of scrimmage. Walker has finished at the rim with a few loud dunks already, not to mention a coast-to-coast finger roll toward the end of Tuesday's morning session.
"Billy Walker is playing extremely well right now. J.R. [Giddens] has to catch up. But he'll get there," Rivers said, noting that it's tough for the rookies to not be in awe of their All-Star teammates. "[Walker] attacks the basket as you saw today, and we're telling him it's a competition. They're your teammates, and it's a competition. I thought today, [Walker] came to play basketball and not be a spectator."
On the other hand, Rivers said that Giddens is still spectating. "Everything's new for him. J.R.'s at that point where all young guys get at; he's thinking instead of playing," Rivers said. "That doesn't go away for a while, so that doesn't concern us at all."
The good news is, help is on the way. Ray Allen spent several minutes with Giddens after practice handing out pointers from things he observed in the scrimmage, and Paul Pierce had a similar chat with Walker while others were handling media interviews.
So, if you are looking to overreact, this is your cue to say "Billy is money and JR is a bust."
So, can I get a ruling or clarification on this? Is it "Bill" or "Billy?" I need to know these things. Either way, this is a good start for a guy we bought with a "6 figure check."