Re: Walker at PF?

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>]

Why do you bother to respond if you can't be bothered to read the original
post? THIS is what I find annoying on this list, NOT someone who honestly
disagrees. (Feel free to take notes, Anonymous).

If you actually read the post it is not a bash on Walker but (put most
simply) it is an attempt to figure out how to better help Walker ON THE
COURT. I advocate giving him a bigger, taller supporting cast rather than
the current shorter, smaller one.

Is that so difficult to understand? Now do you see the point of the
discussion? If so then please explain to me how such a discussion represents
a 'bashing'?

Since in your words Walker 'does everything' then some of those smaller
players may actually be redundant. How do you think Larry Brown unlocked
Iverson's potential, discovered Eric Snow and Aaron McKie or revitalized
George Lynch? He tried different combinations (in Iverson and Snow's case a
combination that ran counter to 'common sense') to find what worked and in
the process worked to instill confidence in what had previously been
marginal players. That's precisely what we have not done here in Boston. (As
was commented on earlier - when was the Twon at SF experiment conducted?)
We've got a roster of 'marginal players' whose confidence is shot and at
least one star player who has yet to find his defensive niche. Are we asking
so much when we ask that Twon get some help not in bringing the ball up the
court etc but rather in keeping opposing big men off the glass etc? What
better time to experiment with Twon at PG (for example) since that position
is currently manned by CBA refugees? Again, why is this 'bashing'?

cheers -TomM

----- Original Message -----
From: Jaime Castillo, Jr. <jaims@info.com.ph>
To: Thomas Murphy <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>; Celtic list <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 5:34 PM
Subject: Re: Walker at PF?


> I used to get into the mix on bashing Walker re: his out of position
playing
> and role inside the court.  He's around 6'10 and has bulk(not much muscles

> though) to be a PF...but instead he chose to shoot long jumpers and now
has
> fallen in love with the 3pt shot.
>
> Now, I just sit back and let him do his stuff because i guess he's really
> more comfortable doin it.  And more effective at that, instead of getting
> blocked all the time inside the paint.
>
> I just don't get the importance of debating or arguing if he should be a
PF
> or a SF...  Why should we really care what position he should be in, when
HE
> DOES EVERYTHING for the team.  He top scores, he tops in rebounding, he
tops
> in assists(please correct me if i'm wrong)....so what's the problem???
> Maybe i just really can't get the point of the discussion and I'm sorry
for
> that, but in my opinion, Walker despite some deficiencies he's our top
man!
> Pierce is also great but only because Walker also does the rebounding and
> assisting.
>
> For now, why don't we just let these guys play with their talent and
> abilities and just evaluate in the off season what the team needs...a shot
> blocking and rebounding force in the middle, a defensive point guard, a
3rd
> scorer (2 guard).  Whatever they may be, Walker, IMO, has really no true
> position because he's proven he can do most things effectively.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>
> To: "Celtic list" <celtics@igtc.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2001 1:53 AM
> Subject: Walker at PF?
>
>
> > CALLING Walker a SF will do nothing just as calling him a PF when in
> reality
> > he performs most of the duties of a PG does nothing - particularly
against
> > the other teams PFs. What is needed is another big body up front because
> > whether by design or default Walker isn't giving us the things you need
> from
> > a PF (which is not to say he isn't giving us things we do need).
> >
> > Let's examine the quote raised by Mishra "There is a very memorable
quote
> > from Don Nelson when he was coaching the Warriors: Webber in his rookie
> year
> > didn't want to play center and so he requested that he be moved to PF.
> > Nellie told him, I don't care whether you call yourself PF, SF or PG but
> > somebody needs to guard the opposing center."
> >
> > You'll note that the quote addresses who the player will guard. Well,
who
> > DOES Walker guard? If the other team has a tough PF (say Karl Malone) he
> > 'guards' the center (Ostertag) and vice versa. Unfortunately he doesn't
> > succeed very well in either instance - this is a large part of the
reason
> > there are calls for him to 'guard' someone else. After all, we have to
> > remember that by not playing Walker at PF we are not benching Walker, we
> are
> > instead redistributing playing time from SF/PGs to C/PFs. Given the
> > production we've received from SG/PG I'd say that this could be a
valuable
> > move given our difficulties rebounding and defending opposing big men -
> > particularly since Twon performs most of the duties of a SG/PG already.
> >
> > Now, regarding the attempt to prove - through the aid of statistics -
> beyond
> > a doubt that Walker and Cliff Robinson are not one and the same person I
> > have to say "congratulations!". Gee, that was tough to figure out.
Another
> > strawman bites the dust! Just for sake of clarity: when I said that I
Twon
> > reminds me of Cliff I wasn't saying Twon WAS Cliff or that they were
twins
> > separated at birth or that their stats would be identical. These
> > 'interpretations' betray a lack of communicative imagination that is
> > typically fatal for any understanding. Now let's discuss what I did try
to
> > say.
> >
> > Others have compared Twon to Webber or Coleman. These comparisons have
> been
> > criticized (rightly in my opinion) because Webber's problems were always
> > off-court (very different from Twon) whereas Coleman's problems relate
to
> > his cancerous lack of heart (again, thankfully, very different from
Twon).
> > In any case both Webber and Coleman seem to play a style much more
> > compatible with traditional views of a PF. In my view Twon's game
reminds
> me
> > of Cliff because they both have a style of play that makes them 'play' a
> lot
> > smaller on the court than an objective measurement of their size would
> > indicate, kind of the opposite of a player like Adrian Dantley. This is
> not
> > meant as a criticism, merely an observation. I do think that Twon is
more
> > talented, but I think the initial comparison remains valid. (Comparisons
> are
> > often used to indicate similarity and difference - NOT identity.)
> >
> > (BTW the simple-minded use of stats to 'prove' that Cliff is the
> inferior -
> > and antithesis - of Twon is flawed for the simple reason that Cliff has
> > always played with a superior cast of teammates. How many assists do you
> > think Twon would rack up if he played with Jason Kidd? How many minutes
do
> > you think a 'young Twon' would have logged if he played with Clyde
> Drexler's
> > Trailblazers? Is it a coincidence that Donyell Marshall is having a
career
> > year in Utah DESPITE the fact that his stats have dropped in virtually
> every
> > major category? The lack of nuance in the employment of stats rivals the
> > shallowness and lack of perception that Anonymous brings to each of his
> > trolling ventures. But then what else would you expect from someone who
> > responded to Cecil's mild attempt at sarcasm with a vitriolic outburst
> that
> > betrayed an utter lack of comprehension of one of the simplest forms of
> > verbal play. Heaven forgive us if we decide to use a metaphor!)
> >
> >
>