RE: May article/Celtic Walker MVP!

[Gregory Odegaard <grodeg@kalama.com>]

Of course Walker is not replacable, but he fills the bill in many areas on this Celtic team.  Before Russell there was Cousy, then Russell led the way, of course Hondo and Cowens handled the role well, before Bird.  Reggie would have been the star, so Walker comes along, and has been noted many times got the role, whether we wanted it our not.  He alone won this team at least 5 and maybe 10 more games over last years total, a fact I doubt very seriously even Rick would argue against.  Improve even only 4 game more per, and in three years you got a 50 win season, without counting any other improvements, through the draft, FA's or the expected improvements of Mercer, et al.

The bottom line, unless we could get Hill, Iverson, Marbury Stoudamire, or a few others in direct trade, remembering that not one of those teams is going to pull this deal, then Walker is the guy.  You don't have to love his antics, or even his playing package, he still is just 21.  I seem remember one LB acting like a 24 or 25 year horses patut at times, granted a champion one after 1981, but he had growing up to do too.  Cut the guy some small amount of slack.

If this team fills out the obvious holes underneath, with solid bench players at the 6 to 10 spots, AW's weaknesses will fade, he will improve and mature and the team will succeed.  

Just curious who else would think that San Antonio would trade Duncan, or would actually want to trade long term stability, m/l, for a rapidly aging Robinson.  These are either bad or completely unrealistic ideas.  In two years Walker  will grow up, improve his team play and reduce his turnovers or Rick will jettison him.  Period.  But to assume or cynically think otherwise doesn't get us anywhere.  Heck look at Grant Hill, in some ways he has regressed this season in terms of maturity.  And Iverson and Coleman had definitely grown with the leadership brought to the 76's by Brown.  Personnaly I think for the 97-98 season using Coleman as an example is unfounded.

Call me whatever you want Dan, but the pre-Bird Celtics were not too far off the pre-Pitino team, and their rise to success was meteoric.  I don't have pie in the sky expectations, but I do believe Walker with Anderson, Mercer, a solid starting NBA center and most importantly Pitino will have the success we all expect and hope for.

Give Walker the money, and if he doesn't work out some other team will take him off our hands, when even his grand deal seams cheap.  That is what is great about the NBA, there is usually another team ready to trade their mistakes or problems.  Does the deal Anderson for Billups sound familiar?  

Walker will not be a mistake.  What ever happened to well founded optimism?

Greg