No Subject

Wow.  Sometimes I'm really amazed at people's opinion of Antoine.

>From: Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>

>If Walker can play that kind of defense, as he did once against Tim
>Hardaway, WHY doesn't he play defense like that all the time?

OK, so he should be able to guard one of the best guards in the league
one-one-one?  All the time?  Come on.  He stepped up big time at the end
of
a game and basically won the game for the C's.  That's a good thing.
Don't
hold it against him.

*I applaud him for it.  I would just like to applaud him more often.  If
he can defend "one of the best guards in the league one-on-one"  he
should be able to dominate the lesser players in the league.  Do you
remember him dominating anyone this year?

>Pitino's spinning that Walker is so damn "competitive" isn't reflected
in
>his team or personal  effort.  Only in his attempts, one-on-one, to the

>detriment of the team in many cases, does he show competitive flashes.
And
>frankly, he isn't good enough yet, if ever, to carry a team which is
why,
>IMO, he is not the leader of this team.

Well, he looks competitive to me.  I can't remember ever watching a game
and
thinking that it looked like he was dogging it out there.  If he tends
to
look like he's not playing defense, I think it's more a matter of
avoiding
fouls than being lazy.  Remember, he is expected to be out there for the
most
minutes on the team.  Hopefully this spell without him should show him,
and
the rest of the team, that they can play well without him out there when

they need to.  And, if he's not competitive, why does he get so excited
when
they win?

*You avoid fouls by beating your offense assignment for position within
the rotation.  When you avoid fouls by stepping out of the way, you've
been beat. Defense is based on effort.  (See the T. Hardaway example
above)

My daughter gets very excited when she wins at "Go Fish".  Why is he
sitting on the bench laughing with Anderson when they lose?

>I hope for his sake, more than the fans sake, he learns to lead by
>example instead of by big talk that he chooses not to back up with >his

>play.

Yeah, you sound like it's Antoine you're worried about.  If I were you,
I
wouldn't worry.  He's set for life.

*I forgot a person is judged successful in life by how much money they
have.

>I mean really, Walker isn't even the "go to guy" on the Celtics let
>alone if he was on a team with proven talent.  Based on his
>deteriorating performances over the last couple years if he doesn't
>get a grip on what's required to win in professional sports he'll be
>compared to D. Coleman more likely then T. Williams.

Well, he's not the best option when you need a basket, I'll give you
that.
But there's a lot more to the game than shooting the ball.  If Pierce is
as
good as we all think and Potapenko can be a steady scorer and they
manage to
hold onto Mercer (or get a replacement like Richmond), I'd like to see
Walker shooting the ball only when he's got an advantage (ie. on the
break,
with a mismatch or a wide open shot).  However, as a "go to guy", his
ugly,
improbable, desperation shots seem to have a habit of going in.
Sometimes
players just have that knack.  The biggest problem I see, is that the
team
thinks it has to go to him a lot when he's in the game. It's a carry
over
from last year, when he was about the only guy who could score.  If the
rest
of the team played like they do when he's on the bench they'd be much
better
off.  I'm sure, in your mind, that's Walker's fault.

*He should be the best option.  He has the skills to be a great low post
scorer.  With 70% FT shooting, which he should have, he would be the
best option in crunch time.  He just has to want to do it.

*I don't understand your statement "If the rest of the team played they
way they do when he is on the bench they'd be much better off."  Is this
a positive statement about Walker?  That the team plays better with him
on the bench.  I don't think that's what you meant to say, however it
has been true from time to time, unfortunately, this year.

*Yes, I think it is Walkers "fault" that the team plays better as a team
without him on the floor, as was shown during his injury. (I did like
his participation even when injured.  Reminded me of ML Carr, as a
player, on the sidelines.) Now imagine Walker using his skill set to
make the other players around him better, instead of his back up doing
it.  We've seen him do it!  Why doesn't he try to do it 100% of the
time?

>Does anyone really think that Walker is more then an inconsistent,
under
>achiever since the end of his first year?

I do.  I think the only period of poor play in his career was the first
half
or two thirds of this year.  He was in poor shape.  I'm not overjoyed by

that, but he was.  His second year was, to borrow from Pitino,
outstanding.

*So his play the first half or two thirds of this year wasn't
inconsistent and he didn't under achieve this year?  I agree that last
year was a reasonable year, not great.  A stepping stone perhaps.   He
didn't deserve an all star choice, IMO.  I'm happy for him that he got
it but I don't think he earned it.  He was the best player on a very bad
team.  Most of the competition had taken the night off.

*This year they played more games where the other teams came to play.
It is my opinion that Pitino spins everything to excess.  I like Pitino
and the style of play he wants to play.  He is like a salesperson who
doesn't know when to stop however.

>Webber has proven that "you" can turn it around with a commitment to
hard
>work and 100% effort on the court.  I hope that Walker can become that
kind
>of player someday.

Thanks for the thought, but it's far too late for "me" to turn it
around.

*I have faith in you.  Maybe it is me who needs another pair of rose
colored glasses.

Jim

<Jim