Bulpett: Walker To Spend Some Off-Season Time In Boston

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Not that this would ever happen, but Walker, Mercer, and Anderson
for Payton and Baker would be an interesting trade...


      Boston Herald

      Walker to summer at C's 
      by Steve Bulpett 
      Thursday, May 6, 1999
      After a discouraging season, the first positive shot in the 1999-2000 
      campaign was fired yesterday by Antoine Walker when he spoke of his summer 
      itinerary. 
      The same Celtic captain who caused a stir by staying in Chicago and 
      skipping two team events in Boston (one a voluntary workout, the other the 
      draft night festivities), said he will stay around for sessions today and 
      tomorrow with the coaches.
      ``I want to stay and get some more treatment on my ankle, too,'' Walker 
      said. ``And if the days work out, I'm going to try to come down (for the 
      June availability with the coaches).
      ``I also talked to coach about playing in the summer league here,'' he 
      added in reference to the late July-early August session that will include 
      six or seven NBA clubs. ``That's a fun time, and I'll get to see where I 
      stand under the whistle. I think a lot of guys try to shy away from that - 
      think they're too good to play in that - but I want to if things can get 
      worked out.''
      Rick Pitino has said he does not mind Walker spending most of his time at 
      home in Chicago to be with his family, but he insisted on him acquiring 
      the services of a personal trainer. Walker will comply.
      ``That's something I'm definitely going to do, and it's going to help 
      me,'' he said. ``On those days when you may not feel like working, you 
      have someone to push you and keep you going. It'll be the same routine 
      outside of that. I'm going to play every day, but on the weight training 
      and conditioning part, I'm going to have somebody there to kind of oversee 
      me and push me and put the program together that coach wants me to 
      follow.''
      Walker said he will keep in contract with strength and conditioning coach 
      Shaun Brown to monitor his progress. He will also keep in touch with 
      assistant coach Andy Enfield, who helped Walker improve his free throw 
      shooting greatly as the season wore on.
      ``I do have obligations up here, so I will come in and try to get with 
      them and keep in contact - just so I can stay fine tuned on what I have to 
      work on,'' Walker said.
      The main motivation is avoiding a repeat of this season when the Celts 
      failed to play up to the level of their talent. But Walker also believes 
      he can use what happened as a lesson.
      ``Through adversity, you find out a lot of different things about yourself 
      and about the game,'' he said. ``I know what it takes for me to go into 
      next season. I know what it's going to take for me to get to that next 
      level. It's just going to take a lot of repetitions and giving the effort. 
      I want to get back to doing the things I'm capable of doing.
      ``I think we learned a lot. It's just that you know things now. You know 
      the frame of mind you need to be a good team. I'm looking forward to next 
      year. I'm looking forward to seeing the makeup of our team.
      ``Unfortunately I don't know what our team is going to be. We've got some 
      financial situations to take care of on this team. That's the business 
      part of it. All I can do myself is to get in the greatest shape possible 
      and work very hard on my game and know that I'm at 110 percent so I can 
      perform night in and night out for this team. It's different next year. 
      It's a full 82-game season with a full training camp. I think we're going 
      to be better as a team, regardless of who's here and who's not here, 
      because we're going to have that month (of camp) to get the rustiness out. 
      I'm looking forward to it.''
      The fact Walker is looking forward to spending his summer within the 
      Celtic program has to calm the concerns of those who have criticized him 
      for an individualistic approach.