Bill Walker is a Celtic

captain_cheapseats · Post #41 » by **captain_cheapseats** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:23 am

dsorc wrote:This pretty much assures that TA is gone.

A pessimist might say that this guarantees that Posey is gone, but ehh, whatever. I for one would like to see all four creating a nasty, cut-throat competition for the back-up wing spots, then trade the two losers.

As for the guy saying that Danny "redeemed himself" by getting Walker, WTF? You haven't seen JR -- or for that matter any of the name guys touted on ESPN I'm assuming you think we should have picked -- play a single second of NBA level competition, so it's a little early to be knocking the pick. It's great that Jay Bilas or whoever thinks Chalmers, CDR, etc. are better than JR, but there's a reason those guys aren't GMs. The actual pros let those supposedly "best available" choices slip for a reason, and it's not because they are can't miss prospects.

Tirion · Post #42 » by **Tirion** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:24 am

JHTruth wrote:Seriously, what do people think the odds are this guy becomes close to what he was touted as? I mean this was supposed to be incredible as a HSer. What really happened to make him available in the second round?

knee injuries

MVP16 · Post #43 » by **MVP16** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:25 am

Funny, if you listen you Doc's press conference after the Giddens pick on the celtics website, he mentions that Danny gave him a tape of 4 players to watch and 2 were left at 30. He refused to name this 2nd player and joked that they still might get him. Guess that 2nd player was Walker.

TheUrbanZealot · Post #44 » by **TheUrbanZealot** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:25 am

Could be the biggest steal of the draft.

What people don't realize is that he was a teammate of OJ Mayo in high school, and the most highly touted freshman in Kansas St. history. The guy is an athletic freak, and very aggressive. He had a knee injury before his freshman year which caused him to redshirt, completely ruining his future lottery pick status. He came back and played well, only to get ANOTHER acl injury. Well he came back from that and formed a formidable duo with MIchael Beasley. This guy is a big time talent and if he never tore his ACL, would have been a top 3 pick last year.

Ainge is just on a ridiculous roll right now..

JHTruth · Post #45 » by **JHTruth** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:27 am

Tirion wrote:
JHTruth wrote:Seriously, what do people think the odds are this guy becomes close to what he was touted as? I mean this was supposed to be incredible as a HSer. What really happened to make him available in the second round?

knee injuries

Well that is pretty broad. Does anyone know the specifics? Is this a cripple? Is the damage permanent? Similar to Leon Powe or worse?

Egregious Blunder · Post #46 » by **Egregious Blunder** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:29 am

so we got 2 jayhawks for Pierce to mentor.

..i like

Tirion · Post #47 » by **Tirion** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:32 am

JHTruth wrote:
Tirion wrote:
JHTruth wrote:Seriously, what do people think the odds are this guy becomes close to what he was touted as? I mean this was supposed to be incredible as a HSer. What really happened to make him available in the second round?

knee injuries

Well that is pretty broad. Does anyone know the specifics? Is this a cripple? Is the damage permanent? Similar to Leon Powe or worse?

Representatives for Kansas State redshirt freshman Bill Walker were scrambling to secure a commitment from a team drafting late in the first round after Walker injured his right knee during a workout in California this weekend.

Walker has had multiple knee injuries during his playing career. He played in six games during the 2006-07 season before tearing his ACL in his left knee. He graduated from high school that October and became eligible for Kansas State in December. Playing as the understudy to Michael Beasley on the Wildcats this season, Walker averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds.

15th overall · Post #48 » by **15th overall** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:33 am

In an interview with Walker on DX he says his favorite players are Paul Pierce and Lebron. I love the idea of Pierce showing this kid the ropes.

Glad I watched the whole draft, I think that was the only trade the ESPN heads didnt get their hands on first.

CCBC · Post #49 » by **CCBC** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:34 am

Love this deal. I was actually wanting him in the first.

Truthiracy · Post #50 » by **Truthiracy** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:35 am

Here's to hoping Bill wears number 8, so we can all break out our old Walker jerseys 8)

armageddon · Post #51 » by **armageddon** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:39 am

DA kicks ass and owns the second round.

JHTruth · Post #52 » by **JHTruth** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:41 am

[
Well that is pretty broad. Does anyone know the specifics? Is this a cripple? Is the damage permanent? Similar to Leon Powe or worse?[/quote]

Representatives for Kansas State redshirt freshman Bill Walker were scrambling to secure a commitment from a team drafting late in the first round after Walker injured his right knee during a workout in California this weekend.

Walker has had multiple knee injuries during his playing career. He played in six games during the 2006-07 season before tearing his ACL in his leftknee. He graduated from high school that October and became eligible for Kansas State in December. Playing as the understudy to Michael Beasley on the Wildcats this season, Walker averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds.

[/quote]

Damn, so this guy has had torn ACLs in both knees? It's not the catastrophic injury it was about twenty ago, and he did come back from the most recent one. Let's hope we see braces on both knees and some excellent training. He could be a stud if he can stay healthy like Leon..

celtics543 · Post #53 » by **celtics543** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:42 am

This is great, I literally jumped out of my seat when I saw the trade for him. I've been telling everyone that I hoped we would draft this kid ever since I realized he was going to drop to the end of the first or even into the second round. I don't know much about Giddens, but with him and Walker, it certainly looks like TA isn't coming back. That upsets me, because TA has really grown on me over the last few years, but it could also be because they don't plan on resigning James Posey.

Truthiracy · Post #54 » by **Truthiracy** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:46 am

I think Bill will wear #12, Giddens will have to find a new number because 15 is retired.

TheCelticTruth · Post #55 » by **TheCelticTruth** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:52 am

danny redeemed himself? yeah youre right we won a **** title this year. what a comment.

as far as walker's injury, i never got the feeling that it was as damaging as powe's (injuries, i should say, for both), just kept him from playing. more like TA.

yeah i would say TA is definitely gone, and im not upset. he didnt contribute down the stretch, and watching him all year, his injury is in his head, id rather have an over achiever that an under achiever, even if the under achieving isnt anything to lay blame for.

giddens and walker are serious wing prospects, even if they do have questions about them.

TheCelticTruth · Post #56 » by **TheCelticTruth** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:53 am

Egregious Blunder wrote:so we got 2 jayhawks for Pierce to mentor.

..i like

walker played for kansas STATE, and giddens left kansas

EdSkae · Post #57 » by **EdSkae** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:58 am

I love Giddens and Walker. Props to Wyc for staying hungry and ponying up the cash to aquire Walker. I saw on fox sports that Posey wants to stay with the Celtics.

Post #58 » by **Celtics_Champs** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:02 am

TheCelticTruth wrote:danny redeemed himself? yeah youre right we won a **** title this year. what a comment.

as far as walker's injury, i never got the feeling that it was as damaging as powe's (injuries, i should say, for both), just kept him from playing. more like TA.

yeah i would say TA is definitely gone, and im not upset. he didnt contribute down the stretch, and watching him all year, his injury is in his head, id rather have an over achiever that an under achiever, even if the under achieving isnt anything to lay blame for.

giddens and walker are serious wing prospects, even if they do have questions about them.

I think he meant he redeemed himself of the reach in the first round. But I agree, I will never question ainge again, after he brought us a title. And also drafted kids like gomes, jeff, delonte, allen, and perk. All solid to great players.

15th overall · Post #59 » by **15th overall** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:06 am

I found that draftexpress interview:

DraftExpress: Favorite basketball player?

Bill Walker: That’s tough. I like LeBron [James] and [Paul] Pierce right now.

DraftExpress: Pretty good match up in game seven huh?

Bill Walker: That was a beautiful game. That’s what I’ve been waiting for during the playoffs, something like that.

DraftExpress: Have you been watching a lot of the playoffs?

Bill Walker: Yeah. I’ve been watching Paul Pierce and LeBron real close because I plan on taking some of their moves and putting them into my game. I can see where I could fit into a system like they play in.

LarryBrdismyDad · Post #60 » by **LarryBrdismyDad** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:08 am

Bill "Sky" Walker is my favorite player in this draft and I watched him multiple times this season and hoped we could land him with the 30th pick. He will be a top 20 player in this draft when it is all said and done. He has great size, strength, and athleticism. He is great at rebounding, defending, and posting up players on offense. His outside shot is somewhat inconsistent and he needs to improve his ballhandling but he could be a starter in this league and a good player. I have seen him compared to Ruben Patterson (probably if he doesn't improve) and a more explosive and athletic version of Bonzi Wells which is probably more realstic. Chad Ford said if he was in the draft last year he would have been a lottery pick. He also drew rave reviews before his recent knee injury when he was working out in Chicago with other draft prospects.