<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MIAMI ? Sitting in the stands at AmericanAirlines Arena you'd never know Heat forward Antoine Walker is having a good season. He is shooting a career-best 43.5 percent from the field, including 35.7 on three-pointers, the third-best percentage of his 10-year career, and he is averaging 12.1 points per game. But for some reason he remains the target of fans' ire. He gets booed faster than any other Heat player, and whoever is in second place in that category isn't even close to Walker. Coach Pat Riley has taken notice. "He's the only player in the league if he turns it over the first time, or shoots an air ball everybody's, 'Ooooh' " Riley said Tuesday. Most fans are turned off by Walker's reputation. During his Boston years (the first seven seasons of his career) Walker sometimes took ill-advised shots, occasionally to the late-game detriment of his team. He also barreled through the lane with his head down, seemingly oblivious to passing options, and then he'd finish off the play with some floater from 3 feet. Walker has improved on those tendencies with the Heat, although he'll still engineer a poor play or two. But Riley is OK with such plays. "I know what a bad shot is and what a quick shot is," Riley said. "We've got a couple of off guys on this team that have been gunslingers so you've got to give them one or two without breaking their back." If only the fans were as forgiving as their coach. Even guard Jason Williams, who came to the Heat with a reputation of being somewhat of a malcontent and/or problem child, is in better standing with Heat fans than Walker. Williams, who averages 12.9 points per game and is shooting a career-best 48.8 percent from the field, including a career-best 38 percent on three-pointers, hasn't been booed all season.</div> Source
