Well let's start by saying that, IMO, the fans do need to cut Walker a little slack. But just because he has tried hard the last 3-4 weeks doesn't get him off the hook completely. Any player can have an off night. I just can't remember one Celtic with a retired number being ever, ever this off. And this is what we all, IMO, expect of the highest paid player on the team. To have his number retired at the end of his dominating career. Isn't this what Walker expects to happen? If I remember he was going to leave the team if he didn't get the maximum contract extension. "The Respect". He is the one who speaks of being an all star, a leader. Show it with work on and off the court, all the time. If your shot is off, rebound or block out. Find a way to contribute to the team on the floor. I will not boo a player for anything but "cheap shots" against another player or unprofessional behavior on the court. Bench him, trade him, cut him or IR him otherwise. I think some of the boo's are a residual thing. He came into camp out of shape and now after half the season and what $1 million of salary "earned" he is in somewhat shape. Now a couple week's of the Shot Doctor and his abysmal FT shooting is respectable. Didn't Walker know this guy was an assistant coach prior to a couple weeks ago? Walker has spent better then half the season losing the respect of many of the fans and apparently some of the other players in the NBA. Now three weeks later (and 38 games into a 50 game season) everyone should forgive and forget? Because "he has worked his ass off for the last three weeks"? Come on, let's see him do it for all 12 weeks, not 3 out of 12. We should all cheer him and marvel at his improved effort if he "works his ass off" for 4 out of 12 weeks next year? It is not the fans who want instant gratification, as Pitino tries to spin this. There is not a member of this list that I have read a post from who gets incensed by a hard fought loss. Lack of total effort does hit a nerve however. And a total lack of effort, as we have seen this year on too many occasions, is just unacceptable. The instant gratification problem is coming from certain players and coach's who think that working harder, NOT working at the level he is capable of, just harder then before, deserves to be praised. A season ticket holder has spent, for 2 good seats, $2,592.00 so far for home games not including parking, food etc... Of those 18 home games, how many did Walker show the hustle of our departed Andrew? or even Minor? Did he show it last night? Did he make anyone else on the floor better last night? If I pay $144.00 for two for dinner and I don't like the way the Chef prepared the food I send it back. If I could make this team, and Walker, replay a play or shot every time they haven't done the work the way it should be done they'd still be playing Toronto..... I am on record stating that Walker has the potential to be the best power forward in Celtics history. That is a pretty aggressive statement. I still believe it. However, Walker is going to have to earn respect back one game after another. A number of the fans are going to get on his case every time he makes an error, perceived or real until he earns back their respect. He created this problem all by himself. He is going to have to resolve it himself. He knew that expectations for him, not necessarily the team, were going to be high this year after signing the big contract. He let the fan's, the team and himself down. All by himself. As a choice! To suggest that the fans have or are letting HIM down is a joke. No one is directly booing Minor or Barros or Mercer or .... the list goes on. Why is that? Why can't Pitino and Walker figure this out. Earn the respect back by your play, your leadership, your effort. Walker has started to earn back my respect after bottoming out this year. At least he has learned and started to work to correct his weaknesses and showing more effort. He doesn't do it every night, and neither do I personally, but he has made tremendous progress in a short time. Which shows what he could have done before if he wanted to. But it is still a positive. And the $71 million question, in my mind, is if the booing of every ill advised shot or lack of effort, will reinforce not doing it again or will it break his spirit and keep him from becoming the player he could be? It doesn't look good. He has already determined that the fan's at fault and he doesn't know what they, the fan's, want. <Jim
S/MIME Cryptographic Signature