Dr. Jack Likes The Trade

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Apparently Walker's non-contract extension produced resentment from him....


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ramsay_drjack&id=1642607
Walker trade clears the air in Boston 
By Dr. Jack Ramsay 
Special to ESPN.com 

A black cloud hovered over Antoine Walker's situation with Celtics' management ever since they decided not to extend his contract. On Monday, Boston made an atmosphere lifting five-player deal that sent the All-Star forward to the Dallas Mavericks. 

With the air cleared, it looks as if Boston has come out fairly well in the deal. While Walker put points on the board, he was a marginal percentage shooter (.388 from the field) who made a habit of taking too many low-percentage shots from the three-point line. Last season, Walker took 1,554 shots and 582 of them were from beyond the arc. 

The Celtics not only picked up some talent with the acquisitions of Raef LaFrentz and Jiri Welsch, but they also added team unity. 

LaFrentz fits well into Jim O'Brien's offense. He's a good three-point shooter, who can stretch the defense and give Boston a more accurate threat from long distance. Lafrentz is a good offensive rebounder who can also block shots and run the floor, which will help in fast break situations. 

While LaFrentz, doesn't possess Walker's passing abilities, he certainly won't hurt the Celtics' game in that regard. Overall, he's a better fit for the structure of this team. 

Welsch still needs to prove himself, but he's shown that he can play and has great potential. He can pass the ball, run the floor, and play in a free-flowing offensive structure. But we'll have to wait and see how much he lives up to expectations and if he contributes. 

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Walker and Tony Delk fit into Don Nelson's system in Dallas. 

Although he's not a point guard (he's more of a small two), Delk has shown flashes of excellent three-point shooting and should fit into the Mavs' three-point based scheme. 

Certainly, Walker will be a big part of the Mavs running game; he's an excellent passer in transition and should fit well into Nellie's defensive scheme and help the Mavs with rebounding. But Nellie will probably frown on Walker's insistence on pulling up and firing erratic three-point shots. 

It will also be interesting to see if Walker starts in Dallas. Nellie is very creative and resourceful, and he'll put all kinds of combinations on the floor. He might play a front line of Antawn Jamison, Dirk Nowitzki and Walker and let the opposing team worry about matching up. But right now, it's too early to tell. 

What we do know is that Nellie will most likely put on his lab smock, mix up all kinds of concoctions in his basketball lab and wait to see whether this experiment explodes.