Antoine revisited.

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>I'm not surprised there are people on this list that have always
>stood by Antoine Walker even before I came along (Mishra, Paul M, Greg,
>Dan Forant and many others).

It's been about...what...twenty minutes since I wrote a pro-Antoine post? I
haven't got much time today as I'm supposed to be living a real life...but
a few irresponsible minutes on this list never hurt anyone. Now...Antoine.
Unfortunately, much is expected of the young man...and unfortunately, much
hasn't been delivered. It seems pretty obvious, from his play of the past
few weeks, that he came into this season hopelessly out of shape. I agree
with Pitino, the past three weeks he's been playing really well. Three
weeks does not a season make, however. He absolutley "stank" it up earlier
in the year. That team "needs" Walker to play consistently well. That team
needs him to fill up a line with points, rebounds, assists, and play
reasonable defense. It's not an option if they're going to win a few games.
No one else on that team is "expected" to do that...because it's still my
belief that no one else consistently can. So...much is expected of him. I
picked this team for 22 wins because the bench simply sucks...period. No
amount of praying will make that group into anything other than a bunch of
garbage-time players. We all love them...but on any other team...nobody
would love Walter because of his "game." And I'm sorry...Tony Battie is
still "El Busto" until further notice. Barros had a couple nice games
but....please...don't count on much more. Why should Dana Barros suddenly
become something he's never been? The same could be said about
Anderson...but I didn't want to believe it. Well...there it is. To make a
long story short...I know, thankfully short...Antoine needed to come into
this season ready to play like he has been for the past three weeks...and
didn't. He should've come in playing like he has been...and gotten better
as the season went on. In my mind, the kid bears a ton of responsibility
for this miserable season. He screwed up...bottom-line. The team needed him
to be the best player on the court...the player doing the most on the
court...the player making up for his teammates "deficiencies," and one
could argue, for his coach's although I'm not going to start that
again....and aside from the past three weeks...nothing. So...now that he
knows what it takes...now that he knows the amount of work he needs to do
to be as good as he should be...as good as the team needs him to be...I
expect him to just do it. All is forgiven. He's still 22. He's still going
to be a great player. There's not another young forward I'd rather
have...not another young forward who has the entire game that Antoine has.
So next year. Now....what's up with Mercer's shooting percentage? Oh...get
off Potapenko's back...he's going to be all right.

Paul M.