This is it, Giddens — take your best shots
The pressure, the responsibility, the weight of the Lobos just got heavier on the shoulders of J.R. Giddens.
Which might be a good thing for Giddens. The Lobos' often-troublesome, almost-star probably can use all the wake-up slaps that he can get.
This one comes in unfortunate fashion. Senior forward Tony Danridge broke his leg during a pickup game Thursday. His injury and recovery time still are being evaluated, but a fair guess is that the University of New Mexico men's basketball team will be happy if Danridge is healthy come Mountain West Conference play in January.
The loss of Danridge surely is a major blow.
Sure, Danridge too often disappeared in the clutch last season and his enthusiasm for rebounding was about as impressive as Giddens' enthusiasm for authority.
But the 6-foot-5 Danridge can drive, score and was expected to improve his game under the guidance of coach Steve Alford and a staff that appears to be no-nonsense and hard-working.
But now Danridge is gone, at least for a while.
Now, the burden of senior leadership and scoring rotates to Giddens.
There is no question Giddens faces a crucial season, with or without Danridge on the court.
The hotshot transfer from Kansas has not yet lived up to his McDonald's All-American potential on the court.
Off the court, he has too often been a pain in the neck — too self-absorbed, too immature, too wowed by his natural talent to understand the importance of fundamentals, discipline, focus.
"Everybody is always going to say what they are going to say about me," Giddens said last week. "It kind of is what it is.
"I just have to got out there and just play like there is no tomorrow, because there is really no tomorrow."
Giddens is right about that. If he hopes to turn the heads of NBA scouts and get drafted — if he hopes to stick in the NBA — he has to make it happen this season with this UNM coach.
The word at UNM is that Giddens is approaching the season at a different level of maturity and urgency.
That's a good thing.
The 6-foot-5 senior walked an easier path when Ritchie McKay was the keeper of The Pit's keys. McKay needed Giddens; his coaching job was on the line.
But neither McKay's coaching nor Giddens' play, such as they were, could save McKay's job. Alford doesn't have the same problem. The first-year Lobos coach will be on a honeymoon period in The Pit, well, for at least one season.
Alford doesn't need Giddens to save his job. If Giddens slides down the selfish path again, the coach probably won't put up with it. Giddens is on a short leash.
But with Danridge out, Giddens' importance for team success becomes multiplied. In a way, his importance to Alford grows.
But the key for Giddens' promise has to originate from Giddens himself. It's time he "housebreaks" himself. It's time he builds his own tomorrow.