Fine: Walker Not A Point Guard

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

http://www.ledger.southofboston.com/display/inn_sports/sports01.txt

SPORTS
Making a big point about next season: Let's forget putting Walker at point
guard for Celtics


By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

Say what you will about Kenny Anderson and the way he plays basketball, but
for once last night, he was making perfect sense off the court.


Just before the Boston Celtics finished the 2000-01 season with a 97-92
FleetCenter loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Anderson might have hit on one of
the biggest problems that will face the Boston Celtics as they try to break
their six-year lottery run next season: Antoine Walker.


Or coach Jim O'Brien's plans for Antoine Walker.


You'll recall, of course, that after Sunday's victory over the New Jersey
Nets that Walker and O'Brien were waxing poetic over the possibility of the
6-9 power forward being magically transformed into the team's point guard of
the future. They talked almost like it made sense, never mind the fact that
it would leave the team without an All-Star caliber power forward.


At the same time, the assertion that it would work was a tacit admission,
perhaps, that Anderson couldn't possibly do the job. This is bad news, of
course, since the Celtics are on the hook for another two years and $17
million of Anderson's salary.


OK, so Walker did say a day later that it might be a 20-minute-a-game thing,
and O'Brien stressed that he wants to use both of his players to maximize
the team's potential, but Anderson knows that even before he was injured he
was an afterthought in the Celtics offense, often handing the ball to Walker
and then shuffling off to the wing to stand around and do pretty much
nothing.


"That's the offense here," he said, adding that he's not comfortable playing
that way, "but that was the offense, and I accepted it. Being the point
guard, I ain't initiating no plays. I would like to be a point guard. I
would like to be in a situation where I initiate plays more.


"I was joking with my mother, and it was like, 'Man, you could have played
point guard in this offense.' Come down, pass and spot up. I told my
brother, 'You could play that.' I ain't initiating no plays. I ain't
handling the ball. They want you to spot up. If you get it you get it."


That says nothing about the fact that there's simply no basis for handing
Walker the ball so often. "He has all the talent in the world," Anderson
said. "He can dribble. He can do everything, but it's taking away from all
the other aspects that we need for this team to succeed .


"I ain't taking nothing away from Antoine, but that's bogus, making him play
the point. C'mon! You're taking away his game. He's an inside threat."


Kenny said it might be better that he get traded. No hard feelings or
anything like that. It just might be better. "There's 29 teams, and I know
the money is crazy, but where there's a will there's a way," he said.


The fact that the Celtics are even suggesting this move shows either how
desperate they are or how powerless O'Brien might be in handling this
talented kid (Walker) with the big ego. The bottom line is that although
they excelled for the most part under O'Brien, it's a team that has serious
problems heading into next season.


The Celtics are a two-man team - that's a given. Walker and Pierce scored a
combined 57 points last night, Milt Palacio adding 14 off the bench. Walker
put together All-Star numbers this season, but he did it largely because he
hoisted up more 3-point attempts (603) than anyone else in the league. He
had his rebounding moments, but not enough, and his free-throw attempts
(340) were pathetic for a 6-9 forward.


Pierce also put together All-Star scoring numbers and showed a willingness
to get inside, but if he doesn't sign an extension this summer, he will be
playing under a cloud of free agency throughout the next season.


Meanwhile, the Celtics are comprised of another 13 players who barely have a
clue how to play the game. Only three of them - Palacio, Chris Herren and
Vitaly Potapenko - have any concept of running. Anderson either can't, or
isn't given the chance to run the point, and his back-up, Randy Brown, was
hurt most of the season. Palacio made strides filling in, while Herren
barely showed what he could do because of injuries.


The Celtics were 10-18 with Anderson starting at the point, 17-18 with
Brown, 4-3 with Herren and 3-3 with Palacio.


In the frontcourt, there are no go-to big men. They say Mark Blount shows
promise, but he didn't get quite the concept of hustling, was pushed around
by bigger opponents and wasn't the rebounding presence they need. Potapenko
made great strides at the end of the season, grabbing rebounds and showing a
really nifty 15-foot touch, but he's hopelessly overmatched in the paint.


Bryant Stith, Eric Williams, Chris Carr, Adrian Griffin, Walter McCarty?
None are critical to any playoff push.


The Celtics have three draft picks, plus Jerome Moiso, who barely played
this season, but for what earthly reason would they want to get younger?


The Celtics as a group have to figure out ways to be productive. It's hard
to believe that placing their power forward at the top of the key is going
to get it done.


Copyright 2001 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted April 19, 2001