Re: Antoine Walker/Draft

[Michael Gooen <callmebogie@yahoo.com>]

--- John Lyell <johnlyell@hotmail.com> wrote:
> We have had something like 16 years for drought, and when was the last
> time
> we went to the playoffs 1990?>>

1995 -- 'Nique and the boys played the Shaq-Penny-Ho Grant-Nick Anderson
Magic pretty tough that year, and things might have gotten interesting had
Pervis been able to stick a 10 foot side jumper.


<<We have been waiting for Walker since we drafted him,>>

Drafted him during the ML Carr years.  When he was asked to play CENTER.

Waiting for him to WHAT, exactly?  Average 20+ points a game?  9+ boards? 
Improve his admittedly miserable free-throw percentage?  Share the
spotlight with Pierce?  Not flip out despite miserable, unfair treatment
from his team's "fans" and a megalomaniac of a coach?


<<this is the first year he has spent any time in the offseason trying to
become a better player.>>

Not sure how you know that.


<<Not a lot of dedication where players like Kobe and
Pierce have worked to improve their game.>>

Please tell us about Kobe's offseason regimen.  I was under the impression
it included things like making really, really bad rap albums.
 
<<I would move him for a chance at Brown or Curry in a second.>>

Haven't checked the archives -- were you also advocating moving him for
Michael Olowokandi in '98?  If so, still want to do that deal?

<<Are they going to have an immediate impact? Probably not,>>

ABSOLUTELY not.

<<but good big men come along once every 10 years.  Look at the centers in
the East and that will tell you how hard they are to come by, and why they
always get dominated by the West.>>

You mean "dominated by Shaq", don't you?  And the next Kevin Duckworth or
the next Jermaine O'Neal would solve that how, exactly?

<<Walker has proven to be a tweaner who can't, or does not want to,  play
 the 4, nor the 3,>>

Garbage.  Antoine Walker's been asked to play EVERY SINGLE POSITION during
various stages of his Celtics career.  You want to blame somebody for not
defining his role, blame the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals.

<<or any defense,>>

Tim Hardaway might beg to differ with you.  As might Kendall Gill.  I
agree that Antoine cannot handle bigger PFs in the post, which is why the
Cs need to get larger and meaner.  But they can do that in this draft
without trading Antoine Walker. 


<<has limited jumping ability, and thinks he's the next Magic Johnson.>>

Who was a real skywalker -- or perhaps you're thinking of Joey Johnson?  I
don't recall Antoine ever comparing himself to Magic, though I think his
college coach may have.

<<a player that jacks up something like 500 3's a year isn't going to take
us to the next level,>>

According to his coach, that's part of the game plan.  Not sure I agree
with that, but you can't say he isn't following orders.


<<especially if they play him at point.>>

Don't agree with that either.  Walker is a 3.  Play him there primarily;
let him slide over the 4 when the 6th man 2/3 (Jefferson?) comes in.  Let
Pierce be the 2.  Play one scary beast (Potapenko, Diop/Haywood/Randolph)
and one quick leaper (Battie/Moiso) elsewhere in the frontcourt.


<<Several NBA coaches including Danny Ainge have stated Walker is not the
player to build a franchise around.>>

Who besides Ainge?  Danny Ainge isn't an NBA coach and has no NBA
personnel experience.  You may want to go back and re-read that Ainge
quote, though -- I believe he also warned against being too trigger happy
and making the wrong deal for Antoine -- say, a trade for Austin Croshere
(and again, not having read the archive, where were you on that one? 
Still wanna do it?  Sure, Croshere had a career night in the FleetCenter. 
So did Acie Earl.).

I happen to agree that Antoine Walker isn't THE player around whom to
build a franchise.  However, I believe that his versatility and his drive
make him one of two around whom a winning team can be built, especially if
the powers that be add the right complementary players.


<<Yeah the offseason workouts is a good thing, maybe some time with Jordan
will bring him down to earth.>>

Find me one attributed quote -- from someone other than Rick Pitino --
that suggests that Antoine isn't "down to earth".

 
<<Do you think there is an inside player available at 10 that can help and
is not a reach ?>>

YES.  Brendan Haywood or Desagana Diop.  Also may be able to get a Michael
Bradley or a Zach Randolph, EVEN AT 21.  I'll take two of those, please.
ANY of them may be better than Curry or Brown.  Even if they're not, there
may be some benefit to having them arrive as complementary players rather
than weighed down with the burden of being the savior for whom a
max-salaried "building block" was traded.



<<I like Jefferson on the defensive side as we sucked last year
and I think he could give Iverson problems and be the type of player to
keep Kobe, Mcgrady or Allen somewhat in check.>>

I completely agree.  Perhaps if Houston's so giddy for Gasol and he
doesn't go in the first 9, the Cs can swap 10 (or 11 -- won't matter if
Houston's picking Gasol) and 21 for 13 and 18 and nab Diop/Haywood (11),
Jefferson (13) AND Randolph/Bradley (18).  Now THAT's a haul.



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