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Re:Gaston
Hey Joe (Where are you going with that gun in your hand?),
I'll agree that the Globe has been, for the most part, coming down on
the traditionalist side of the Walker debate (The Ryan "punk" column
alone ensured that), but they don't sell any papers by being wishy washy
or reasonable. Besides, they do have Holley to voice the player's
perspective.
I guess I might as well weigh in with my Walker comments. I like his
game a lot and I think it's not important for him to be a classic 3 or
4. Bird could play both depending on who the other forward on the court
was. Jordan defies positioning. You could just as easily say he's the
forward and Pippen's the guard. Of course there are superstars who fit
neatly into a position, but they're often centers (Russell, Wilt,
Kareem) or point guards (Cousey, Isaih, Magic). What about the really
great forwrds (Willis Reed, Bob Pettit as well as Bird)? Were they
considered one position or the other? I don't know the answer to that.
My impression is that the truly great players do a multitude of things
well, and that usually means they have the ability to 'swing' between
positions, unless they play one of those two, highly specialized,
positions. Is Walker that good? Probably not. This is a really select
group and it would be no shame on him if he were not good enough to join
it. But, he's the only player the Celtics have had for a while who even
might be that good.
So why would they get rid of Walker. Well, wiggling and saying stupid
things, like trying to tell his team whom they should draft, is not a
good enough reason to lose a talent like that. Refusing to take a
reasonable contract offer is, though. Absurd demands could cripple a
team's chances just as much as losing him. He can put the Celtics
between the proverbial rock and hard place. Minnesota chose to cripple
themselves by paying Garnett, Denver by trading McDyess. I think we'll
agree that neither team is going to win a thing. The only way to win
this game is to find a star who will sign for less, or at least delay
his greed until a championship caliber team is in place. If Walker's
demands are so high that it will keep the Celtics from putting that team
together then, yes, they have to trade him. And, yes, they will suffer
for it.
The worst part is that I don't see the current labor negotiations
helping at all. The luxury tax may make more teams profitable, but it
will mean even fewer teams can afford to pay the really big contracts.
Rookie deals tied to age would be a good idea. I think the Celts best
chance of keeping Walker is if the new rules extend his rookie
obligation and give them another year or two to convince themselves he's
worth the dough.
Jim
>From: j.hironaka@unesco.org
>Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 13:06:54 +0100
>To: Icarus <skmishra@sprintmail.com>, celtics <celtics@igtc.com>
>Subject: Re:Gaston
>
>Hi
>
>The Boston Globe is so rabidly anti-Walker that I doubt anyone will
step
>up and point out this self-evident and critically germane
>fact/viewpoint. Such an opinion really needs to be aired now,
>considering our Celtics already have gone twice as long without a
>championship as ever before. BUT NO, these "old school" Globe
>journalists would instead willingly abet the views of the "few" Boston
>fans who secretly applaud the Celtics for unceremoniously
>dumping-on-his-black-ass the one greedy local star who best personifies
>in their eyes what it means to act like an n-word, regardless of his
>widely-recognized value to the team (or that so far he's never done a
>thing wrong off the court except to help kids and to stay in terrific
>shape). Maybe I richly deserve to get my butt flamed for "revealing my
>racial agenda" or whatever. Please respect that I'm just seriously
>pissed off. All I ask for is a group of Boston Celtics - of any color
-
>who take losing very personally (for lack of a better phrase). All I
>want are players who inspire confidence in fans that they will step up
>in big games, in pressure moments, as well as in head-to-head showdowns
>against the Shaqs and other All Stars out there. I don't freaking care
>if Mush and PJ know how to "play big." Mush and PJ can kiss my golden
>butt.
>
>I'm sorry.
>
>
>JH
>Paris
>
>*****
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