Antoine

[Michael Joseph Byrnes <mbyrnes@leland.Stanford.EDU>]

Kim Malo wrote:

> Yeah, well, same here, but that's no longer the reality we're operating
> in.  This BTW is at the core of my disgust with people constantly saying
> to make allowances for [Walker], because he's young. We're supposed to
> ignore the doubts because he'll grow out of them, but at the same time
> we're supposed to pay him as if he's a sure thing proven commodity with
> no reason for doubts.
>
> [...]
>
> But the simple fact is that we pay him or someone else will. Now, not
> later.  He's absolutely right about that.

Very well said, Kim.  The problem for the Celtics is that they must decide
*now* whether or not Antoine is going to mature into a franchise player.
If he is, they should sign him at "market value".  If not, they should
trade him or even let him walk.  But have they seen enough of Walker to
make the right decision?

If Walker is a franchise player, and the Celtics let him go, then he will
be hoisting banners somewhere else.

If Walker isn't a franchise player, and the Celtics sign him at franchise
player value, then they can forget about winning banner #17 for the
duration of his mega-contract.

And regardless of what anyone on this list thinks, I am that Walker has
shown enough to be worthy of an investment of over $100 million *and* the
future of the organization.  

Michael Byrnes
mbyrnes@stanford.edu