He had a horrible game last night. Shooting 5-16 and 1-8 from the 3 point line you can also add his 6-13 night at the charity stripe. This guy chucks up way too many bricks and has chemistry problems with his team. I wouldn't want this guy on my team.
He is just so annoying to watch because I know what he is capable of. He has a pretty decent back to the basket post game. He could take advantage of the smaller defenders(when he is at the 3) by using his strength most likely creating a double team or just easily scoring. I just don't get it.
Well I am a big Antoine Walker fan, so I probably am not gunna rip him like everyone else. I was extremely pissed when he was traded out of Boston, especially for what we got. Raef LaFrentz had 1 good season with us (last year) but now he's just not the same. Jiri Welsch i liked but he is gone (but he did get us a 1st round pick). And Chris Mills did nothing, we waived him. Then the second trade was even more frustrating to me because he was basically used to help us get into the playoffs.But anyway, Toine is a great leader, a great guy, and a true competitor. People calling him lazy is not the case, he gives tremendous hustle when he's out there. He can shoot 3's, he just takes way too many of them (i blame Rick Pitino and Jim O'Brien for letting him take 7 a game with us). He is also a very good rebounder and an outstanding passer and is also one of the best ball-handling big men in the NBA. But yes he does shoot too many three's, he has terrible shot selection at times, and he is not the worlds best defender (but he is average, not below average like you guys have proclaimed).But also give him credit, he is in the best shape of his life and he's looking great. If he stayed in Boston he would still be an All-Star caliber player. He has a great all around game despite his 3 point shooting.Also someone said he is not a winner. Eastern Conference Finals with nothing much on the team except Paul Pierce. Sure we had a good defender and reliable guy in Eric Williams, a guy to do the dirty work in Tony Battie, and an average PG in Kenny Anderson. Then what? Rodney Rogers, Walter McCarty, Erick Strickland, Tony Delk, etc. That was not a great team. Tell me Antoine isn't a winner when we were 2 games away from the finals.But I hope Antoine gets out of Miami because that is not a good fit for him. He should be a #2 option, like he was here in Boston. He leaves it all out on the floor, is a great leader, and has an outstanding all around game. Good times gone by: Pierce and Walker duo.
I completely agree with you, Pat Riley made a bad move by getting him to Miami along with Gary Payton
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>But also give him credit, he is in the best shape of his life and he's looking great. If he stayed in Boston he would still be an All-Star caliber player. He has a great all around game despite his 3 point shooting.</div>Agreed. He doesn't fit in well with Miami. When he came back to Boston for that short time last season he was awesome.He toned down the 3 point shots, He was in shape, He was rebounding extremley well, Shot a good percentage, and commited less turnovers.Im not sure why they let him go.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DaCaliHustla50 @ May 3 2006, 11:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I completely agree with you, Pat Riley made a bad move by getting him to Miami along with Gary Payton</div>Yea, I think Riley did a poor job last summer. They were a Dwyane Wade injury away from beating Detroit in the ECF last year and 1 role player away from probably beating Detroit. All they needed to do was get one guy. Instead he brings in Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey, and Gary Payton. That was way too much. He should have re-signed Damon Jones and kept Eddie Jones, then signed 1 role player. That would have been a championship team. This current team isn't. They aren't goingto gel together and they aren't gunna click and win. There is such thing as too much talent, because talent comes with ego's.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BALLAHOLLIC @ May 3 2006, 11:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Agreed. He doesn't fit in well with Miami. When he came back to Boston for that short time last season he was awesome.He toned down the 3 point shots, He was in shape, He was rebounding extremley well, Shot a good percentage, and commited less turnovers.Im not sure why they let him go.</div>Well we let him go because of the fact that Al Jefferson really impressed last year plus the contract Antoine wanted/got. Danny does not want to have to pay a luxery tax, and I don't hate on him because of that. I just think Antoine Walker should have been a Celtic for his entire career with Paul Pierce. If he just added the right pieces around that dynamic duo that team could have went places. Like I said, with Paul/Toine we were 2 games away from the NBA Finals with a supporting cast of Eric Williams, Tony Battie, Walter McCarty, Tony Delk, etc. He could have added the right pieces (a better PG and a center) and maybe a better 6th man, and we could have been a top team in the East.
I agree again. Eddie Jones is a guy they needed to keep. He is a great scorer who doesn't mind being the 3rd or 4th option.I think James Posey was a good move. Hes not a team cancer. He could have brought defense and scoring off the bench.Gary Payton was a dumb move. Jason Williams also stupid.Why would they mess with there roster when they made the Eastern Conference Finals the year before?
He's never changed his game or shown any signs of wanting to improve his game. Things he did poorly his rookie season, he still does today. He still shoots the ball too much behind the arc, still dribbles out of control in the paint with his head down and whips up those antoine floaters, still can't hit free throws, it's just frustrating. CelticBall you say he should be used a 2nd option? That's questionable.....he's a guy that will get you those wins in the regular season that help you get into the playoffs but when it comes down to actual playoff action his antics and inconsistent play get the best of him and his teams will most likely lose.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCB @ May 3 2006, 05:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Come on, your a Knicks fan, you love players like Walker.</div>oh yea that's right i'm a knicks fan. i forgot. you act like anything that comes out of ny has no knowledge about basketball whatsoever. let's be civil and stop talking sh*t because you're getting on my nerves.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ May 4 2006, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He's never changed his game or shown any signs of wanting to improve his game. Things he did poorly his rookie season, he still does today. He still shoots the ball too much behind the arc, still dribbles out of control in the paint with his head down and whips up those antoine floaters, still can't hit free throws, it's just frustrating. CelticBall you say he should be used a 2nd option? That's questionable.....he's a guy that will get you those wins in the regular season that help you get into the playoffs but when it comes down to actual playoff action his antics and inconsistent play get the best of him and his teams will most likely lose.</div>If Toine had a coach that stressed to him he would have his minutes decreased if he took all those three's, then he would have changed his game. But no coach has ever told him differently. He toned down the 3-pt shooting last year though, only taking 3 per game with us (as opposed to 7-8 per game the 1st time around). And he was not the problem in the playoffs last year, youth and defense was the problem. And needless to say you can't say he doesn't work hard, he is in the best shape of his life right now and really is looking good. But I agree, he does play a tad bit worse come playoff time (so far so good this year for the most part).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>But I agree, he does play a tad bit worse come playoff time (so far so good this year for the most part).</div>I agree with you that a good coach could have helped toine develop but lets take a look at Toine this year for miami in the playoffs.....Game 1 10 points, 5 reb, 4-13 FG, 0-4 3PTGame 2 17 points, 10 reb 7-15 FG, 2-6 3PTGame 3 11 points, 6 reb, 4-11 FG, 26-3PTGame 4 21 points, 5 reb, 8-19 FG, 5-12 3PT (12 threes but made almost half), 3 TOGame 5 17 points, 7 reb, 5-16 FG, 1-8 3PTGame 4 and 2 were nice but the other three games he had were real sloppy and took wayyyy to many shots. He may look good and I give him props for that but he is still inconsistent antoine, he can't be taking eight 3's and making one of them in the playoffs.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ May 4 2006, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I agree with you that a good coach could have helped toine develop but lets take a look at Toine this year for miami in the playoffs.....Game 1 10 points, 5 reb, 4-13 FG, 0-4 3PTGame 2 17 points, 10 reb 7-15 FG, 2-6 3PTGame 3 11 points, 6 reb, 4-11 FG, 26-3PTGame 4 21 points, 5 reb, 8-19 FG, 5-12 3PT (12 threes but made almost half), 3 TOGame 5 17 points, 7 reb, 5-16 FG, 1-8 3PTGame 4 and 2 were nice but the other three games he had were real sloppy and took wayyyy to many shots. He may look good and I give him props for that but he is still inconsistent antoine, he can't be taking eight 3's and making one of them in the playoffs.</div>Those are nothing but just stats. Why don't you factor in his defense in games 1-2 (super) and his all out hustle this whole series. He has also made some terrific passes and is fighting hard. He also lead the way in the 2nd half the other day when Wade wasn't in. He willed that team.Stats don't do it all for me, you have to actually watch the game, not the box score, to understand a players success.
I dunno man, you can't deny the fact that the guy takes dumb shots and I wouldn't call his defense superb, I don't think he's ever played superb defense. And by the way I did watch the game and those stats reflect what he did on the court. He hasn't changed that much from what I see except losing some weight. He is still doing the things he did with Boston except it's just at a smaller level because he's not a one or two option like he was on Boston.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ May 4 2006, 11:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I dunno man, you can't deny the fact that the guy takes dumb shots and I wouldn't call his defense superb, I don't think he's ever played superb defense. And by the way I did watch the game and those stats reflect what he did on the court. He hasn't changed that much from what I see except losing some weight. He is still doing the things he did with Boston except it's just at a smaller level because he's not a one or two option like he was on Boston.</div>Oh don't get me wrong, I did not call Toine is superb defender. I said it was in games 1 and 2 vs. the Bulls in Round 1 this year.
My favorite thing about Toine was how after he left Boston he stopped doing the wiggle, almost as if the wiggle was only for the Boston fans, that was cool of him. I wish this guy turned around his game because I loved his energy. That game 3 comeback game of the eastern conference finals in 2002 was amazing, Toine got the entire city of Boston into that game it seemed like. I mean the Celts were pretty much done and toine chewed out the whole team on the sidelines and they came out gunning in that 4th quarter.
Walker needed a good coach and a bunch of good players to put him in his place. Which he has in Miami.
