Re: Antoine Walker/Draft

["John Lyell" <johnlyell@hotmail.com>]

You seem to put a lot of blame on the coach. Maybe he made a lot of
substitution and acquisition errors but he is the one getting their ass beat
every night on defense. I think we were in the last 5 in D (a good reason to
take Richard Jefferson). I guess you will find a way to blame the coach for
that also?

  As far as averaging 20, how many NBA players would also if they averaged
20-25 shots a game? Greg Kite could give us 14 a game.

It has been pretty obvious Walker has not worked out with the shape his has
came in camp the last 2-3 years.
Kobe's an all-star who has two rings, something Walker may never get. I
assume you think he played no part in these?

I would like nothing better to see the Laker Celtic rivalry rekindled,
unfortunately for the last few years it has been with the other LA team.









----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gooen" <callmebogie@yahoo.com>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2001 4:25 PM
Subject: Re: Antoine Walker/Draft


>
> --- 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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