Walker

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

Blah, blah, blah ... this guy obviously hasn't seen Antoine play this year.
One of the things that has impressed me the MOST so far this season has been
Walker's noticeable efforts to play smarter & get along better with the refs.
He is slowly but surely becoming a leader.

>Walker's
>immaturity is evident both in his shot selection and in his
>hard-earned reputation as one of the most widely disliked players
>among referees and league opponents. 

I do think this guy has a point (no pun intended) about how the team ran under
Billups vs under Kenny. Despite KA's defensive shortcomings, I will not favor
parting with him unless we have a surefire replacement in the wings, and
quality PGs are hard to find in the league ... we do not want to become
another LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, etc.

I also wouldn't move Mercer unless I were sure PP could adjust to the 2 spot
without missing a beat. Bottom line, I would not mess with our top 4. As even
this guy points out, "no one can question Walker's heart and desire to win,
which are best exemplified by his tenacity as a rebounder, where he often
out-hustles much larger opponents. Secondly, Walker's scoring ability is
explosive!" Why the hell should we part with "Fifteen years of 20 and 10"??
This guy's gotta be on drugs if he thinks a frontcourt of Potapenko, Pierce
and Popeye/Battie looks better than one of Walker, Pierce and Riley/Andrew/Battie.

Say it with me, people -- there is no need to break up a team of immensely
talented 22 year olds! Wait a year or even two until we can land the big man
we need -- how many times did Michael Jordan come up empty against the Pistons
before he got over the hump? Ditto the Pistons against the Lakers.