RE: These sneakers are made for Walkering

["John Lyell" <jlyell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Snoop, have you missed the playoff's the last two years and the seasons? He
can't play a position, has no hops, gets killed by 4's, can't stay with 3's.
A deal for Thomas and Spree wouldn't be that bad as along as we have
something else in the works to get a 5.  Battie and Thomas could play the 3
then make a move to get a serviceable big body 5 like Drobjnak, Marc
Jackson, Kelvin Cato, Adonal Foyle, etc.

Or move Walker to Chi town for Rose or Tyson Chandler. Forget Fizer, E Rob.
Trenton Hassel would be a decent throw in. He has always played good  D
against Pierce.

John








-----Original Message-----
From: owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 8:25 PM
To: celtics@xxxxxxxx; Celticsstuffgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: These sneakers are made for Walkering


Ok, maybe I'm too far gone on painkillers but there's something I just Do
Not Get.

WHY is everyone so hot to trade Antoine Walker?

Before you begin the chorus of replies that start, "hey, moron", let me
explain the reason for my confusion.

As I understand it, people are not happy with the Celtics style of
play.  Shooting a barrage of threes from the other side of the building is
not most people's idea of a fun--or successful--basketball team.

So, everyone looks at Walker and says, inevitably, he shoots more than
anyone--and makes statistically fewer than anyone.  People shake their
heads and frown and "tsk", and so on.  Walker is bad, we are told, because
he does not go inside.  He'd rather hoist a three than drive to the
basket.  He takes many low-percentage shots and the Celtics can't get
anywhere in the playoffs because of that nasty three.  If we trade Walker
for a "good" player--i.e., someone who drives to the hoop--it will be an
improvement, no matter who the player is.

I have a few problems with this viewpoint, starting with the fact that it's
not Antoine's fault.  Coach Jim O'Brien has done everything but stand at
center court and scream at the top of his lungs that the perimeter offense
was HIS idea.

Since he does, in fact, have more common sense than a turnip, he KNOWS that
the C's had no real PG.  Also, no real Center.  That meant that no matter
how talented Pierce and Walker are, the C's would routinely get stomped on
if they kept going inside.  He also knew that he was saddled with Gaston's
last withdrawal from the Celtics bank.  No new players.  No trades, and
most certainly no chance of even keeping the players he already had.  After
his first full season, you could tell the C's didn't need to trade
anyone.  Kenny Anderson was finally a functioning PG.  Rogers was a nice
outside decoy for Walker and Pierce.  All the C's needed was a legitimate
Center.

So, of course, Gaston makes it impossible to keep Rogers or
Anderson.  Goodbye improved second year.  O'Brien had to start all over
with new player combinations.  Plus, he was hampered by more player
injuries to his ridiculously short roster.  So, he said, keep shooting
threes.  The outside game is our only real chance now.  If the C's had
tried to implement a running game with nine guys, Battie would have been
crippled by the All-Star Break.  There was no other realistic option if
they wanted any shot at the playoffs.

No, it's not great offensive basketball.  Yes, we all know Danny Ainge
wants to run.  But so does O'Brien.  He just wants the team to have a
realistic chance of winning.  So he told Walker--and Pierce--to shoot those
threes.

I'm well aware that Walker personally happens to like the three.  But he's
committed to winning.  He's also fiercely loyal to O'Brien.  If the coach
tells him to start driving inside, I believe he will do exactly that.

Ainge said he hated the style of play, but presumably, he is also blessed
with mental superiority to a turnip and realizes it was O'Brien's call.  He
extended O'Brien's contract.  Let's give them all a chance to show what
they can do.

I am puzzled to the sudden negative comments about Walker's
conditioning.  At the start of last season, people actually believe that he
played TOO hard, and too often.  Now, suddenly, you'd think he was sitting
on the couch munching Doritos all summer, to hear all the disparaging words.

This upcoming year, the Celtics have a new group in charge, Chris Wallace
notwithstanding.  I think we should wait and see what the late summer
brings as the various camps get started and we see first what kind of
players we got now that "upside" is officially as irrelevant as McGruff the
Crime Dog at a Trailblazers workout.  Then we see how Walker works out this
summer.  As a side note, though I think Pierce deserves a shot, he'll not
be on the Olympic team this time.  That means he'll get a rest, since it's
a given that He played too much last summer.

Who knows--we may well end up having a lot of fun next season!!

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website