Re: Steve Bulpett On The New Antoine Walker

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

What seemed equally noteworthy perhaps was how resigned Walker (and so far
everyone else) sounds about the likelihood of Ron Mercer not being part of a Y2K
Pitino team, as if it is well-known inside information. If it were just a matter
of a few Holley/Smith/Vescey trade rumors out there, then Walker would take the
opportunity to say "so what's all this I hear about trading Ron!?" He's probably
already talked to both Pitino and Ron (and gotten his answer).

As expected, readers will spin that positive story anyway they feel like it
(although I did not read anything into Ray's subject-heading comment). I don't
know about you Paul, but I think Toine went on that one "water fountain break"
to snort several dozen lines of coke. After practice, he probably drove straight
to "7-Eleven" to steal a Big Gulp and an armful of microwave burritos.  :-)

Actually, the part I found most gratifying about that story is that Antoine and
the coaching staff are working on his mid-range pull-up jumper. For the longest
time, that was the ONE SHOT I always wished Antoine would work on or eliminate
from his repertoire. You know the play where Antoine's at the top of the key,
the defender gives him space, he closes half that space with an unpurposeful
forward dribble, then pushes up a short, half-hearted clanker? He does this at
least once every game (the difference between shooting 7-17 and 7-15 from the
field). You'd think he could dribble more assertively to attract a second
defender and open up a dish-off lane inside. He'd also have far better odds IMO
lobbing up an open push shot from the perimeter, instead of taking that initial
weak-ass dribble.

Joe

On another subject, the Pippen-Glen Rice rumor sure sounds like a "win win" deal
in terms of the makeup of each team. But I wonder if Pippen 1) has any part of
his "A" game left, and 2) if he will start whining once he realizes Shaq and
Kobe aren't particularly interested in his shots per game. I guess if Phil
Jackson signs in LA, it could be a whole different story. I wouldn't be
surprised if Rodman rejoins. What a hatable team they will be. They might
seriously compete for one championship, but they will flame-out as usual after
that.

----------
damekmo@teleport.com wrote:

> >Ray, only you could read that article and come up with that line to
> >summarize.  What was that, one line out of about a hundred.  No mention of
> >how good Walker's attitude sounds.  It's not important that he seems to
> >understand exactly what his problems are?  Isn't there any more to the game
> >than trade rumors?
>
> Not at this time of year, Jim. And certainly not with Pitino in charge.
> Anyway, that's just Way's cynical wise-ass side. The young man can't help
> it.
>
> Paul M.