Hell and in this case Antoine Walker, hath no fury like a disappointed Joe Hironaka

["Christopher J. Littlefield" <clittlefield@babson.edu>]

Wow.  Opi.

 

Damn! 

 

I'm in the midst of finals right now, so I had to catch up both on the games taped and the lists digested when I got a little breather. 

 

And frankly, I just hope the press doesn't catch wind of the nickname Antoinette.  They'll just start calling him Marie soon enough.

 

And though I wouldn't be as...um...direct...in my critiques as the estimable Mr. Hironaka, I certainly wonder what the heck is going on with the Captain. 

 

There is no fire, no wiggle, in his game at all.  Much more control and discipline, but less fire.  And frankly, I don't care for it. 

 

On that note, I also think that the way he is being used is different than in the past, when he was constantly being plopped on the block because he was all they had. 

 

Talking about this with a friend, Walker is being used up top and on the drive far more frequently than in the past.  He's even being placed in the backcourt on free throws, so the 2-3 missed free throw rebounds he used to get are now gone.

 

I'm a little more worried about his passing.  He should be getting more assists.  I'm worried about the same thing with Kenny Anderson.  It's like Walker is the point forward but the guy's not getting assists!

 

Okay, a side note on assists.  Assists for this team seem to come, if not from the break, from the following areas:

 

1) around the horn, swinging the ball to the open shooter, or

2) penetration and dish ala Pierce, Griffin, and occasionally Walker, or

3) Center out around the 3-point line passing to the screened cutter

 

...instead of, in the past:

 

1) inside out to the shooter, or

2) post player passing to the cutter (which is where Walker has made a wagonload of hay in years past.  Remember Travis and Ringo?)

 

Walker's not posting, he's driving, which he can do.  He gets doubled immediately.  If there's not enough room to pass to anyone, guess what...ball gets stripped or Walker throws up some kind of crap.  Not good. 

 

I think Pitino's playing with Walker's mind, telling him to play 3 and making him play the 4.  He's not playing freely at all.  In fact I think it's very rare that the whole team plays freely.  And frankly I attribute that to these 4th quarter meltdowns.  Everyone is on Pitino's string, and deviation from the string gets people pulled.  Result?  The stultified play from big parts of the last 5 games. 

 

 

Frankly, Pitino's playing with this thing as he goes along. 

 

He doesn't know what to do with Walker.

 

He doesn't know what to do with Pierce's (lack'o) defense.  Seriously, the 9 steals aside, the cat's a liability to anyone who can shoot.  He also is a much less proficient ball-handler than either Walker or Griffin. 

 

He doesn't let Williams post up.  What's up with that?  What, I ask you all...is UP with THAT?  Anyone who remembers EW's first stint with Boston remembers that the boy is a post _machine_; spins, up-fakes, ball-fakes.  He fouled out Mourning, scored 11 straight Boston points agains Karl Malone a couple years ago (okay, Malone scored 15 in the same stretch, but hey...who's counting) 

 

But now?  He hangs out on the perimeter, tosses himself into the crowd, usually draws a foul, but doesn't get many touches with the second unit.  If he's healthy he should be THE option for the second unit and he should be down in the blocks.  But nooooooo... he has Dana trying to get free, and everyone else KNOWING that's what's going on, and that's bad. 

 

He should also be playing more with Walker.  Maybe they should start Pervis, Battie and Griffin, and bring Walker and Williams in off the bench.  No joke.  Walker becomes the primary ballhandler, and a stablizing force on the boards and in the post for that team. 

 

Okay, I rant.  Time to go. 

 

Thanks for your time. 

 

Go Joe.  I may not be quite as vehement, but I'm always entertained and appreciative!