J.R. Giddens takes a shot at Doc Rivers?

Shut your mouth and work on your game, J.R.

After Bill Walker scored 21 points on 9-14 shooting in last night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, J.R. Giddens tweeted the following.

Congrats to bill walker career high 21 pts 2nite amazing what ppl can do when they get an opportunity

Is that a not-so-subtle dig at Doc Rivers? Giddens, who mired on the bench — when he wasn’t in the D-League, at least — for pretty much his entire career in Boston, seems to be calling Doc out for never giving him a chance.

Giddens isn’t the only one who seems to think he and Walker deserve a chance. After Walker’s 21 points, a collective sigh went out in Celtics Nation, as people wondered if he could have done the same thing for Boston. Jeff Clark even went so far as to wonder whether the Celtics might resign Walker after the season. (Sorry, Jeff, but if he plays well for the remainder of the season, New York might pick up his team option, which would cost them only $854,389.)

I’m here to bring you guys back to reality. The Knicks were down 40 points most of the game. They play a free-flowing offense designed to get out in transition, and Walker can capitalize on his team’s pace and the minutes he receives due to the fact that, frankly, the Knicks have zero very good players. Behind Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, rather than Danilo Gallinari and a washed-up T-Mac, and in a predominantly halfcourt offense, Walker was never going to get much time.

Would I have liked to see him get a few minutes, here and there? Sure, I don’t think he would have done any worse than Tony Allen. He would have been a young, athletic wing for a team that could use one. But he never would have been a 20-point scorer for the Celtics, and his defensive attitude looked weak when he played for New York against the C’s. He allowed his man to get to the rim plenty of times and didn’t seem to ever want to box out. (On second thought, he would have fit right in with the C’s starters.) Seriously, though, not even his high-flying dunks against Boston could make me overlook his poor defensive effort. To be fair, it might be because New York doesn’t exactly stress defense.

Now back to you, J.R., the person making the tweet-jab at Doc Rivers. I would have had you last on the depth chart. You’re athletic and strong, but your game lacks polish. Go work on it, instead of making digs at your old coach.

Even if he should give some youngsters more of a chance.