No Subject

``We talk almost every day and he hasn't been happy with his play,''
Pitino said. ``(Last night) he got in that low post and he sealed like
Bernard King. Nobody pushed him out of the low post. He said, `I want
that basketball. I'm going to command it. Throw me that ball. If I get
double teamed, I'll pass the basketball.'

`You go to the line, you get 12 rebounds - that's what you expect from
him. Not four rebounds and five turnovers, you expect better from him.
At least I do. Antoine needs to play this way every game.He played like
a power forward (last night). He tried to dominate the inside against a
very good basketball player.

``I think he's very upset at himself, and he said he's had enough of
this and he's going to come out and play. He's got a great deal of
pride. He knows how to play the game. He knows what to expect. We talked
about that (yesterday).''

The talk was certainly needed. There is simply no way a player of
Walker's abilities should have come up so small when injuries made the
need so great.

`Coach is just trying to get me back right mentally,'' said Walker.

Pysically is another issue. After saying last season that he wanted to
be more of a Scottie Pippen type than a Karl Malone, the fact Walker is
far closer to the latter was on close up view last night. So until
Walker gets wiry enough to guard small forwards or until he begins
hitting outside shots, he is what he is, and getting comfortable with
that can mean only better things for himself and the Celtics.

``His body is a four man,'' said Pitino. ``And he played brilliantly as
a power forward should. He really understood his role, played good
defense. That's his finest game in a long time.

``We've got to get production out of him, but at every phase of the
game. He's got to go to the line. He's got to rebound. I mean, he's our
power forward, he's got to rebound the basketball. (Last night) he shot
12 free throws, (had) two blocked shots, four assists, 12 rebounds -
that's what a power forward does every night out.''

Pitino wisely altered things to help Walker out a bit, making moves to
get him into position earlier in the possession.

`That's why I wasn't taking the ball out,'' said Walker, who still got
hurt on the perimeter a few times, but not as badly as in recent  times.
``I was trying to rush down the court and post up early in the offense.
Coach is trying to devise different things to get me on the block with
maybe the double team not coming.''

Beating double teams for Walker may be as simple as keeping him from
playing a double position. Perfection is still in the distance, but last
night he finally took the advice of Jack Palance from ``City Slickers''
and did one thing right.


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