Re: Berry/Walker

[Peter Delevett <pdelevett@xxxxxxxxx>]

With all due respect, Mark - I may be guilty of
looking at some of Antoine's stats in a vacuum, but
you are doing the same. Walker's numbers matter less
in your eyes because he's "among the league leaders in
minutes played and shot attempts." Let's deconstruct:
Walker is 7th in shot attempts at about 19.9 per game
(behind St. Paul, who is 4th). Going back to my list
of comparables, Nowitzki is 10th at 18.6 attempts per
game; Garnett is 11th at 18 per game. Webber is 17th,
but he only played 67 games; on a per-game average, he
actually took more shots than Antoine (and, yes, he
made more of them too). 

Antoine is 4th in minutes played at 41 per game.
Garnett is 8th at 40.5 minutes. Duncan, Nowitzki and
Webber all played 39 minutes per game. In other words,
there is virtually no difference between their minutes
and Antoine's. Are we then to likewise dismiss KG,
Timmy, Dirk and C-Webb as mere "volume stat guys?" And
if not, why not? Because they shoot for a higher
percentage? That's important, but Antoine brings other
pluses with his steals and assists. Because they're
better defenders? Uh, not Webber or Dirk ... 

You've got to admit you're not quite being objective,
especially when Pierce turns the ball over more than
Walker, takes more shots and plays nearly as many
minutes while posting fairly crappy shooting
percentages from the floor and arc. I'd never
denigrate Pierce's accomplishments or value, and he's
unquestionably a more  efficient scorer than Antoine,
but why would you overlook Paul's shortcomings and not
his running partner's?

And that might just be one more reason not to rush
Antoine out the door: Pierce likes playing with him,
trusts him and has an obvious chemisty with the
"uncoachable," "most disliked player in the league,"
Antoine Walker.  


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