ryaningf wrote:There is a huge level of misinformation going on in this ridiculous thread.
To wit: whether Bill Walker will play in Europe. Bill Walker said in his Comcast interview that he was fine playing in Europe if that's what it takes to make the NBA. And, as of yet, we have no official information that the Cs are even considering asking him to play overseas. There have been many internet rumors of him being asked to play in Europe eventually, but that's never been confirmed by the Cs. And, regardless of what he may or may not have said to DET regarding Europe, it's not out of the question that getting drafted by the Cs in the 2nd round changed his mind.
As for being hurt: he'll probably be at full strength come training camp. It was just a minor meniscus tear and, according to Scott Souza, Walker was at Healthpoint a mere 2 weeks after surgery, doing some light shooting, lifting and rehab work. Souza also said that Bill had obviously hit the weight room in the interim between his initial appearance at Healthpoint (when he was introduced to the media) and then because he was looking like the mini-Lebron he was rumored to be prior to the draft, in terms of his pro-ready body. People who think it'll take 2-3 years for Walker to make an impact are vastly underrating this kid's ability. With health, he could be in the rotation by mid-season next year. He's a first round pick who slid because of injury concerns. When those injury concerns subside, he's still got his first round talent. And that usually plays in most circumstances, especially on a team without any clear-cut back up small forward (though I think Tony will acquit himself there just fine if called to do so by Doc).
In short, Walker is living at Healthpoint this offseason, and you know Danny et al are aware of his presence. He's working his butt off to get ready for training camp and I expect the C's to offer him a 3 year contract with a portion of the MLE sometime in August. I also expect he'll spend some time in the NBDL in the beginning of the season, and if he can maintain his health, eventually get a shot at NBA minutes, either because of someone else's injury, or because he fights his way onto the court. Looking at Doc's history with rookies, they usually don't get their shot to shine until mid-season and I expect the same will occur with Walker and Giddens to an extent.
Hard work pays off and you know Bill Walker is working as hard as he can to make an impact on this team. And even if Danny comes up with another swing man (highly unlikely, in my opinion), you can bet BIll Walker will not hesitate to take his work ethic and talent to Europe for a year if that's what he's asked to do. But I think the Cs see the work he's putting in for this season, and they'll reward him for it by offering him a contract this season.
...to be fair, Walker does have quite a bit to work on in terms of ball-handling, shooting beyond 15 feet, and general decision-making on drives...
However, he is an extremely hard-working and intelligent person and there is no doubt that the extra time and open-minded approach to improvement should certainly gain the attention of Ainge as his office overlooks to practice court that Walker is getting his work in on...
I do AGREE with Sam however, (can't believe i typed that) that it is unlikely that Walker will be a significant contributor for his first couple of years in the NBA. Statistically speaking, the odds of any draftee making a team rotation in the first couple of seasons is limited to the top 5 on the whole...I do think he can grab situational minutes for sure, but there is so much competition at his position with much more experience and tons of talent...so breaking into the rotation won't be an easy task on this team...
However, the injury he sustained was indeed minor, and before this latest set-back Walker was looking lean, powerful, and explosive. So, any lack of game-readiness won't come from his present or previous injuries.
Walker's talent is certainly top 20 caliber from this draft. Without all the injury concerns he would certainly have been gone in the first round and could very well have been a lotto pick if he had delivered his freshmen season at KSU instead of missing the year with an ACL....speaking of which, ACL recovery these days is a high-probability venture, don't use Tony Allen's need for a "mental floss" as the basis point for opinion on this.
Overall though, Walker stands to benefit the most by battling Paul Pierce and watching him as much as possible...Walker has the ability and the drive to become a helluva player and Pierce is the ideal model for his development IMO...Walker reminds me of a Carmelo Anthony type because of his athleticism, somewhat of a hybrid 3/4 who can shoot well-enough to set up powerful drives and post-up his man...powerful, quick jumper who needs little time to get up and finish strong...doesn't need to gather hardly at all and is immovable once going forward...lacks polish, but not desire to grow as a player...a steal in my book for the mere purchase price of a few hundred K...
