Walker Did Pitino In says Bulpett

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

Evil Toine on the rampage....

http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/bully01082001.htm


Blame Walker for C's failure: Co-captain undermined Pitino
The NBA/by Steve Bulpett
Monday, January 8, 2001

Of all the mistakes Rick Pitino made in his Celtics stay, those on and
around the club believe the largest may have been giving the keys to the
court to Antoine Walker.

In the end, it was Walker's failure to buy completely into the community
concepts of the team that doomed the club at a time when a playoff run
hinges on the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

The Celtics are less than they should be for several reasons, but the
Walker problem grew more visible with each ill-timed trey he tossed
skyward. He is certainly not the only Celtic to be guilty of poor shot
selection and the like, but the fact the Chosen One was flouting the
requests of the coach undermined the entire process.

The bottom line is that Pitino wanted to coach the Celtics and live the
rest of his life in Boston, and Walker wanted to stay with Celts and
turn this thing around. Now one of them is gone and the other more than
likely will follow. This summer, Walker loses his base-year compensation
baggage that made trading him so difficult. He will be very available.

The two were tied when Pitino cast his lot with Walker, but a steep
price was paid in trying to please the co-captain and extricate his
talent. Walker wanted to show his full game, so Pitino set up an offense
that let him roam from the post and baseline, normal homes for power
forwards. Walker wanted a maximum contract once the new collective
bargaining agreement was in place, and Pitino gave him one. Walker
didn't like it when the coach talked about his weight and conditioning
problems publicly, so Pitino avoided the questions.

Before the New York game Wednesday, Pitino sidestepped a query about
Walker's 3-point shooting (he had gone 1-for-13 from 3-point range in
the previous two games).

It is one thing to cater to a star, but in this case Pitino hurt himself
with the other players because Walker wasn't taking the company cue when
games were on the line in the fourth quarter.

According to one player, things may have crystallized early in the last
quarter of Friday night's loss to Golden State when then-assistant coach
Jim O'Brien glanced to a seated Walker and said, ``Why do you look so
upset? We're going to win this game.''

Walker reportedly replied, ``When am I going to get some touches?''

It was evident to the coaches even before then that players were unhappy
with being pulled from games for transgressions Walker performed
regularly and that it was all having a negative effect on the group. And
in the last two weeks, the problem grew. It is not that the club
dislikes Walker; it's more a matter that it needs him to be on the same
page.

But in his fifth NBA season, Walker has let his demons drive him. His
drives into crowds could be interpreted simply as manifestations of his
competitiveness, but many see it differently.

One prominent NBA coach said this week, ``Antoine should have `Eastern
Conference All-Stars' on the front of his jersey instead of Celtics. Not
that he's going to make the All-Stars, but that's what he's playing
for.''

And last year Tim Hardaway said he truly wants his Chicago friend to
succeed but that it won't happen until he stops being a derriere on the
court.

They are pointed analyses, to be sure, but the fact is no one would be
criticizing Walker if he wasn't capable of greater things. Walker is
better than his present station, but he needs to face certain realities.
It's believable when he says he wants to win. He just has to learn how.

``You can never suit everybody,'' he said last week when asked about
shooting just 41 percent from the floor for the season. ``If we were
20-12 instead of 12-20, it'd be fine. I could shoot 41 percent and it
wouldn't be a problem. Everybody's going to voice their opinion, but I
have to do what's best for myself. I know what I'm capable of doing. I
know what I like to do. I know what my strengths and weaknesses are more
than anybody.''

His next coach may think otherwise.