re:AW

[opi@unesco.org]

Honestly, I really think Mark was merely saying that AW's rate of
development needs to start matching his evident  talent. If not, his
weaknesses and indifference to self-improvement would be detrimental to
a championship team, which is the only goal we are aspiring to.

As you all know, I love AW.  His buffoonery and sad confidence reminds
in a certain way of Muhammad Ali. I'm certainly not comparing the two,
except that they both really could behave like total fools in public and
made many people wish they'd just fall on their face, yet Ali had this
staggering mind-over-matter capacity to rise to the occasion in an era
against three of the five GREATEST  heavyweight champions of the past
three-and-a-half decades (Frazier, Foreman and Norton). In my mind, AW's
greatest flaw is that he's too thick-headed and retarded to ever lose
confidence in himself regardless of the game situation, particularly his
rate of success in clutch moments and when everyone seems to be against
him.

This amounts to being a significant flaw so long as he continues to suck
(and I think he sucks right now), but it is still something very rare in
an athlete. Look at all the superior All Stars who tighten up on offense
in the clutch, not unlike Pierce (who's had some huge fourth quarters,
but not many big final 2 minutes) and Mercer (who merely disappears
completely). I'm not talking about hitting an occasional go-ahead
3-point dagger like Ainge sometimes did...I'm talking about putting the
ball in your stars hands for the last shot with everyone knowing it all
comes down to stopping you. I mean, try asking Grant Hill or Shareef to
do this. They may, or may not, "talk the talk" but somehow nerves get
the best of even the most majestic talents. Playoff basketball really is
about going from one totally nerve-wracking moment to the next, and I
wouldn't mind having Antoine on our side, even as I'd feel more secure
and happy knowing better grounded athletes like Pierce, Griffin and
Fortson are also out there as well.

---

Dan, what are you talking about?  The guy is saying
that Antoine is unworthy of a roster spot unless he
posts 20-10-4 numbers, with shooting percentage
caveats.

--- Dan Forant <dforant1@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
> I say it's a pretty good deal if he could provide us
> with those figures.
> Doesn't look like he will. I don't think it's an
> attitude, but a fact.