re:Mercer and Walker

["Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>]

While I think we're making too much of free throw shooting here, I 
dispute these "game winning" free throws.  The way I remember most of 
these close games going down is that someone, often Walker, would have a 
chance to ice the game and would miss one of two.  The other team would 
go down with a chance to win the game, but miss or hit one of two 
themselves.  The next day NBA.com reports that whoever took those last 
free throws for the Cs hit the "game winner".  That person could easily 
have been the goat.  

Ask yourself this.  Celtics down by one, no time on the clock.  Who do 
you want on the line?  Mercer or Walker?  Well, it's Mercer, hands down.  
But, as someone pointed out, Barros would be even better.  That does not 
make him a better player than the other two, or even a better clutch 
player?  Let's face it, right now free throw shooting and mid-range 
jumpers are about the only areas where Mercer is better than Walker.

Overall I felt that Antoine was a fine clutch player last year, and I 
hope that will improve.  The big thing he has going for him is 
versatility.  He will go outside or inside, post-up or face the basket.  
That's where he has an advantage over defenses.  They don't know what's 
coming.  With Mercer you can be pretty sure he's going to run off a pick 
and pop an 18 footer.  I won't downplay his consistency, it's very 
valuable throughout a season.  But, with the game riding on a single 
play, you need a whole bag of tricks.  Unless you're Reggie Miller and 
your one trick is dropping threes from five feet behind the arc.  That's 
pretty tough to defend, even if you know it's coming.

Jim



>Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:20:42 +0200
>From: Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>
>To: celtics <celtics@igtc.com>
>Subject: re:Mercer and Walker
>
>    Regarding Antoine Walker and clutch freethrows, NBA.COM included 
the
>following "highlights":
>
>-Hit the game-winning free throw with 5.4 seconds left, totaling 25
>points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, in a 102-101 win over the Portland
>Trail Blazers on 3/1
>
>-Registered a game-high 28 points, hitting the game-winning free-throw
>with 16.1 seconds left, and 13 rebounds in a 97-96 win over the L.A.
>Clippers on 2/13
>


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