Re: Questions That Weren't Allowed On Antoine's Chat

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well Mark, good points as always, and you know what I'm 
going to say, so I'll go ahead and say it.

I feel you removed Antoine's volition from the team's 
eventual success. The Celtics started winning, so he kind 
of punched that ticket and hopped on board. No 
leadership. The idea is that he didn't really want to win 
before. He was one of those players who cared more about 
looking good than about winning. You see them, of course. 
So the media and fans piled onto the team's best player 
at that time, hatchet jobs, all that stuff, because he 
deserved it. He had it coming. It would have happened 
anywhere.

But here's the thing. One reality to face is that 
Walker's offensive stats haven't changed from before. In 
fact, he had his worst FG% last year since his rookie 
year. His assists went down too by 0.5 per game in the 
same minutes. That's significant.  So what's the big 
difference then? 

Well, you know that I think the Celtics lost under Pitino 
because they ran a grossly inappropriate defensive 
system. It worked for at most the first ten games of each 
season (even with the main scapegoat "out of shape", we 
were usually a .500 team after 10 game and that's a 
fact). Then teams adjusted to the ill-advised college 
traps and pressure. It tired out the Celtics more than 
the  opponents, who shredded that defense like NCAA 
benches couldn't. Boston finished tied or second from 
last every season in FG% allowed. Even when they gave 
good effort, it was a layup drill. Opposition 3-point 
attempts involved a Celtics defender rushing over too 
late from Godknowswhere, rather than being there in the 
first place.

What portion of that overall poor defense do you want to 
blame Antoine for? And how much noticeably better is 
Walker's defense now, compared to before?  

I see him play it pretty well sometimes, other times he 
doesn't box outits kind of like before actually. 
Regardless, this doesn't explain how much better weve 
gotten on defense. 

I lived in Boston, Mark. I apologize in advance, but from 
that perspective of course I found it troubling how 
Boston fans and media treated their best and most 
competitive player at the time. Sure they sensed he could 
take it, but it was still grossly over the top. 

It amazes me, my own experiences living there in the 80s, 
and that unfortunately colors my view of the Walker 
situation back then. I guess I was somehow always 
wondering into the "wrong neighbourhoods" or something 
(but that, of course, included the same spectator 
sporting events where Walker performs today).

(After all, the Red Sox didn't sign a single African-
American free agent in the ENTIRE decade. That lasted 
until Billy Hatcher in 1992. It was Pumpsie Green all 
over again.)

I attended games back then, as a non-white guy, and it 
was distinctly uncomfortable at times (that's even an 
understatement in some case). 

I'll tell you some incredible stuff offline if you want, 
just so you'll know I'm not politicizing race etc to seem 
stylish or something. I'm sure you probably won't believe 
me otherwise (that I don't have an axe to grind). 

I didn't have the slightest conception of race or racism 
before I lived in Boston, and everywhere I've lived since 
it just stopped coming up. Of course, I chose where I 
wanted to live after that.

We all have different outlooks on the Walker situation 
back then, just as you have your own perspective. I knew 
a part of what was up, and it felt nauseating. If you saw 
what happened in games, imagine what his hate mail might 
have looked like. Think what other, much more popular, 
black athletes have reportedly gone through in Boston.

Again, I'll stress I'm talking about a different era. 
I've been back there with my wife several times this 
year. Its a lot different. And I hope its obvious I love 
Boston. I literally love the Red Sox, for goodness sake. 
I will breakdown and cry in public if they ever win it 
all in my, and my son's, lifetime.

I look on all the scenarios of how Walker could have 
handled the worst moments (turning it back against fans, 
reacting to individual media reports, hinting for or 
demanding a trade). 

I don't think anyone, at any age, could have responded 
more appropriately than Walker did. He has a distinct 
type of maturity and competitiveness to actually handle 
playing in Boston. And the guy showed he wants to be a 
Boston Celtic. 

Many a GM and coach would have done the popular thing at 
the time and traded him, but it turns out they happened 
to like Antoine a lot back then, just as weve grown to 
(mostly) appreciate him now. 
 
All that having been said at too much length, thank 
goodness there is a Mark Berry, and a Jim Hill etc. to 
give the other side of the story in a completely fair and 
effective way. There's no right answer, with Walker, so 
I'm more than happy to admit Mark has good points. He 
always does. Well, there goes my lunch break again. 

I should cut down this post (the self-referential parts). 
You need to know the art of skimming, with at least some 
of my posts. ;-)
 





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