Re:

["Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>]

>From: "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
>
>I've come around on Toine and recognize the strides he's made this season, 
>but I wouldn't call this story a "hack" piece. A lot of what he says is 
>true. I don't see D'Alessandro's piece as being grossly unfair. I think, 
>looking at it with a less biased perspective from the outside, he reached a 
>fair conclusion. But, I also think we've weathered the worst of Toine and 
>soon will start reaping the rewards of Pitino's patience (at least I hope).
>
>From: Douglas342@aol.com
>
>I concur.  There have been other columns on the same general theme posted 
>here this season.  In fact, what is being said about Walker is being said 
>about the whole team:  inconsistency rules!

OK, so all we expect from writers is that "a lot of what they say is true"?  
I should damn well hope it is!  Let me pick out the parts of the artice that 
I think are unfair, unsubstantiated and nasty.

>>>Antoine's antics take steam out of Celtics' engine
By Dave D'Alessandro - The Sporting News

We've seen the best of Antoine Walker and the worst of Antoine
Walker. And I suspect the canyon-sized variance between the two is
the primary reason the Celtics still are the little team that could. But 
won't.

[Antoine's season has actually been pretty consistent.  He started out 
playing consistently poorly and about five weeks ago something happened and 
he has started playing much better with the exception of only a few games.  
The Celtics' win/loss performance over those spans has been about the same.]

We've seen Walker go 5-for-21 against Tim Duncan one week and torch
Karl Malone for 36 points the next. We've seen Walker take apart
Shawn Kemp for 32 one night and shoot 6-for-22 at New York two nights later, 
busting his team's comeback with a technical foul.

[Great examples here. NOT.  I'm sure this had nothing to do with the fact 
that SA (particularly Duncan) and NY are strong defensive teams, and Malone 
and Kemp are not exactly known for their D.]

We've also seen him when he is the proverbial black hole, getting
blocked four times in a single possession against the Clippers.
[We've all marvelled at Antoine's ability to get his shot blocked.  DD 
somehow attributes this to selfishness.  Am I missing something?]

[Hardaway's self richeous crap clipped...]

Again, no great revelation. Everyone knows Walker is a selfish player, that 
his stats are inflated because he's one of those star-in-his-own-mind types 
whose entire self-esteem is based on big numbers and style points. The refs 
hate him as much as they hate the IRS. He consternates his teammates with 
his inconsistency. And management, long past its tolerance threshold, has 
been trying to trade him for two years running.

[Here's the paragraph that does it for me.  Antoine has shown anything but 
selfishness this year.  If he makes a poor decision, it is perceived by some 
as selfishness.  Why is that? His stats are inflated?  I'm sure I've seen a 
lot more of the Celtics this year than Dave, and I haven't noticed him 
looking for stats other than wins.  Again, his decisions aren't always 
great, but his desire to put the team over himself this year has been 
undeniable.  The ref's hate him?  Got me on that one.  They sure do, and his 
complaining sure has a lot to do with that.  HOWEVER, his teammates have no 
problem with Antoine that I have heard of.  That seems completely invented.  
And the management claim is based on what we have described many times on 
this list as completely unreliable rumor.  This is what I am referring to as 
"hack journalism".]


After four years, it's not likely. Walker has never been one to actually 
heed the advice of anyone else -- just watch him ignore Rick Pitino when the 
coach tries to stop him from disputing a call -- and his impulsive 
tendencies and self-indulgence are the biggest reasons the Celtics are 
fading right now.

[You guys actually agree with this crap?  Antoine is a hothead and he wanted 
to have a go at the refs during what was an extremely poorly refereed game.  
Normally, he is very attentive to Rick Pitino and shows him a very great 
deal of respect.  The assertion that Antoine is the reason the Celtics are 
fading is absurd. Has he looked at the injuries the team had last month?  
Antoine's the biggest reason they have stayed anywhere near playoff 
contention over the last month.  This is an untrue and intentionally 
misleading statement.  Hack journalism.  I can think of no other words for 
it.]

Make no mistake, this is a very solid team at FleetCenter (though
it's not surprising) fans seem to hate Walker there. And perhaps he
will never be greeted with wild and untrammeled affection at Fleet,
even if the Celtics were 16-6 at home coming out of last weekend.
That's because Boston fans are smarter than most, and they know this is an 
unwatchable team (4-17) when it leaves town. They know the Celtics show none 
of the mental toughness, none of the maturity and none of the leadership 
they need to win on the road. They know their inconsistent power forward, 
the one making $71 million, is a primary reason the team may never break 
through.

[We're smart enough never to fall in love with Antoine.  I just love that.  
The team is almost unwatchable on the road.  I don't know, I've been able to 
watch a great deal of them, and aside from a few really awful losses (what 
team doesn't have these, check their scores on NBA.com before answering 
that), this team has produced some truly inspiring efforts that have fallen 
just short against very good teams. ]

They've seen the best of Antoine Walker and the worst of Antoine Walker.  
They've seen enough.  When will the Celtics?

[I've read enough, for sure.]
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