FW: [Celtics' Stuff Re: "(Now tell me)Who do you love?"

["James A. Hill" <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

JB asked...Snip
>On the other hand, you mention that it's Walter's contract year. Can you
>say honestly, that he's putting out more effort this season....Snip.

At the start of training camp 2000, Walter stated that he had not picked up
a basketball at all during the off season because he was concentrating on
his music label that he runs out of the finished basement of his condo in
Waltham, along with 2-3 co-workers that are on the staff/management/payroll
of the music company.

I do believe that Walter's passion gets the majority of his effort,
attention, practice and time.  Not unreasonable by itself.

I don't believe that passion is basketball however.

I think to be a contributing pro athlete, partially because of the financial
investment made in them, on a team with just, what 14 players, the players
you choose to be on the team must have a clear focus on what's needed to
improve their skills and hence their potential contribution to the team.
Then they must go out and do it.

We talk about Walker getting a trainer during the off seasons, about VP
working out at Healthpoint all summer, about Pierce in LA during the off
season, about Kenny or Williams lifting, about summer leagues, mini-camps,
big man camps etc...  What have you ever heard about Walter doing to improve
his basketball skills during the off season?

Walter was in front of the home town family and friends in Indiana.  The
game showed that he can play with that kind of passion along with a dozen or
so other games out of the 200 odd games played during this $9MM contract.

So yes, I think he is playing for another contract and will disappear after
signing it, again.  Which is a shame, because he has skills and in the East
he could have given us time at the 5 with his length and hops.  If he were
to commit to basketball that would be a different set of circumstances, but
if not, we should find someone who will.

<Jim