Re: VH for Walker

[Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

Title: Re: VH for Walker

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

>>This all being said, the one thought that keeps coming to me is "how can 
>>you have a 4 that can't dunk on a regular basis?"  It seems he could in the 
>>first couple years but couldn't last year.

From: Jim Meninno

>I share a lot of the same frustrations about Antoine as you do, Jim, but his 
>dunking is not one of them.  Not only is it false to say that he "can't dunk 
>on a regular basis", but to me it is refreshing that he doesn't dunk all the 
>time just for the sake of it.  If your point is that he doesn't finish 
>strongly enough, I'll go along with that.  You don't see him dunking over 
>guys.  But I get the sense you mean that he's so un-athletic that it's 
>literally difficult for him to dunk, which he's not.  Personally I think 
>it's a far greater problem when you get a player like Tony Battie who seems 
>to be trying to turn every play into a spectacular dunk.

Hi Jim, I agree that your term "finish strong enough" is probably a more accurate way to say what I meant.  But I don't believe that he can dunk on a regular basis and this leads to defenders being able to go to block his shot verses having to stay on the floor to take a charge or block him away from the hoop.  I did not see Walker dunk from a standing low post spot all year.  I definitely believe it was because of his lack of conditioning that caused that.  A strong finish of powering up and over his defender when down low would help to intimidate the defenders.  Instead he continues to have his shot blocked from that space by taller/longer/lighter defenders.  I just don't think that a PF can play like that at his size.  At 6' 11" a PF can shoot over another PF off the glass because of where the shot starts from height wise.  At 6' 8-9" a PF needs to power the ball through the defender to the hoop.

As far as Battie, I'd try to package him in a trade.  He appears to be all flash and no substance.  He's years away from contributing, if ever.  Jerry West knew what he was doing when he dumped him.
<Jim