Re: On Hoops (GM) Article Ranks C's 4th Best For Off-Season Moves

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

RSMALL@clarku.edu wrote:

>  (...) A question for the Walker (major) backers, Whose fault will it be this year
> if /Walker doesn't
> change and keeps taking stupid shots?

Hi Rich, yeah it would be Walker's own fault. If the kid doesn't hit a still frankly
pathetic minimum 45% of his field goals and 70% of his freethrows, then I agree that
the Antoine Walker experiment in Boston should be terminated. I can picture a
consistent 43 to 48 win playoff team built around Pierce, a second very efficient &
intelligent "designated scorer" (via a fair-value Antoine trade), and the team's
heart and guts of Fortson and Potapenko.

Pierce is like drawing a "two-pair, aces high" in poker (solid hand already, could
get even better). By contrast, Walker may be compared to a "royal flush" with one
card missing. Normally I'd go for the safer hand, but the NBA is like the "ESPN
World Series of Poker" and in this case the Spurs (and Tim Duncan) are showing "four
of a kind". That's why we keep waiting on the next card with Antoine Walker. The kid
produced consecutive game NBA "triple doubles" at the age of 20. He was second in
the NBA in double-doubles at the age of 21. He is the most reckless and fearless
last-second clutch scorer in the game.

People casually trash AW for taking one (maybe more?) days off at some charity golf
tournament (but not Walter McCarty, much less the 7 other Celtics who haven't shown
up yet at Healthpoint). IMO these things illustrate the sort of continuing cheap
shots that inevitably push thinking people to conclude that -- as much as we also
kind of dislike him -- that kid just might be getting a bum rap. I agree AW actually
DOES deserve to be criticized for his disappointing play last year, especially from
retards like me who supported him. He finally took one step forward (far lower
turnovers, better handle, fewer technicals) and two major steps back (casual
rebounding, a remarkable and team-leading capacity for shooting total brick shots).
We list members (including myself) are all diehard "old school" roundball
purists...it's part of what makes us Boston Celtics fans despite our evidently
diverse backgrounds. You're either a Celtics fan, or you ought to be. :-)  But there
is a point where character assassination goes overboard and becomes sickening.
Walker brings us face-to-face with that possibility.

If list members are going to debate Antoine Walker, then stick to the facts. Rich
Small does this. Jim Hill does this. It's normal and welcome that list members would
see the same evidence and reach different but thoughtful conclusions.

Joe

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