Bill Walkers weaknesses?

[YUNG CELTAHOLIC]

Ive watched a few videos on this guy. all i see is highlight dunks.In other words, its clear that hes an athletic freak. but can the guy shoot, dribble, pass, etc? how is his defensive game? comments are appreciated

[Tricky Ricky]

he gets hurt a lot from what I hear

[chakdaddy]

Bladder capacity.

[s1ickd]

it looks like he has a decent shot (it wont be a total liability). he can also take a couple dribbles without scaring you. somewhere between tony allen and a rookie paul pierce. he has more of a power game. he kinda reminds me of al thornton.

[Big Baby]

Youth and lack of experience. He's one year removed from high school, so even if we sign him, I doubt he'll see any PT this year. But I hope we keep him because I love everything I've seen from him and read about him.

[billfromBoston]

Weaknesses:

Shooting outside 15 feet/off-dribble...ball-handling...decision-making on drives...movement off-ball...

[Big Baby]

Weaknesses:

Shooting outside 15 feet/off-dribble...ball-handling...decision-making on drives...movement off-ball...

What are his areas of strength?

[MyInsatiableOne]

Kedrick Brown v3.0 or Gerald Green v2.0

I agree, what does he do besides dunk? Someone on here posted a highlight video after the draft and it was 7 minutes of tomahawk dunks...I got bored and shut it off after the first 60 seconds....

[GuyClinch]

^^^^ I'd be okay with KB 2.0 or GG 3.0 as far as player development goes. Bill Walker was only a second round pick and seems to be quite a bit more intelligent then those players. So perhaps unlike those guys he can learn to expand his game.

Though in fairness both KB and GG COULD shoot from the outside. KB famously hit 15 NBA threes in a row in his workout (though his actual pro 3 point shooting was uneven) and GG shot well from there.

[jfs1000d]

Walker is light years ahead of Green and Brown. He has a good body, not just crazy athleticism. Kid probably needs Europe, but we will see.

[GuyClinch]

If he was "lightyears ahead" then he sure the heck wouldn't need europe. I like Bill Walker. i think he is a good prospect but just because a guy is new doesn't mean he is better. Just because a guy is young it doesn't mean he is good..

Pete

[Andrew McCeltic]

Remember, it doesn't matter that Bill Walker actually BE good- he just has to show enough potential to be attractive to a team that wants to trade a good veteran and rebuild.

[alwayslovetheceltics]

strengths: very physical, can absorb contact on his drives and still finish, not afraid of contact, does not take plays off, does a reasoanble job in staying in front of his man, should develop into an above average defender at the posisition, above average at grabbing rebounds for his position

primary weaknesses (what I think he needs to work on first): improve his midrange J, as well as his ability to catch and shoot, ball-handling

[billfromBoston]

Strengths:

Tenacity, work ethic, intelligence, (ie all attributes NOT present in KB or GG)...body control, power, explosiveness...slashing, post-play...

Walker is pretty raw, but his best attribute is his physical size and strength...his core strength allows him to attack the basket with ferocity, which is why I compare him to Pierce/Melo as an absolute best case...if he's healthy, I think he's got the right stuff to develop his game and maximize his potential...working against Pierce every day in practice is his best "strength", it ups the odds of his developmental peak...

...if he stays healthy he'll at least be a rotation player-Bonzi Wells current level of ability....but I think he'll be more...

[Big Baby]

Strengths:

Tenacity, work ethic, intelligence, (ie all attributes NOT present in KB or GG)...body control, power, explosiveness...slashing, post-play...

Walker is pretty raw, but his best attribute is his physical size and strength...his core strength allows him to attack the basket with ferocity, which is why I compare him to Pierce/Melo as an absolute best case...if he's healthy, I think he's got the right stuff to develop his game and maximize his potential...working against Pierce every day in practice is his best "strength", it ups the odds of his developmental peak...

...if he stays healthy he'll at least be a rotation player-Bonzi Wells current level of ability....but I think he'll be more...

That does NOT sound bad AT ALL...

Whose ceiling is higher, Walker's or Gidden's?

[billfromBoston]

...hard to say...I look at Giddens as somewhat of a Iguaodala/Gerald Wallace hybrid at his max...he has all-around game that could make him a stat stuffer....I don't know what his low-end is really, maybe Rondo's current level of production 8-10pts/4-6rebounds/3-5asts/1-2stls...its all about his learning the NBA game, limiting TOs, and getting PT to produce...

i like JR alot too...he's a wild and crazy kid, like Tony Allen...but I think he's a good guy that wants to accomplish things...again, he's in a perfect environment for learning--discipline provided by the vets will go a long way toward his development...

[JCizzle]

I'd say Walker should have the higher ceiling, since he was once projected to be a lottery player. However, he also never lived up to his billing at K-State, so who knows. He seems like a good guy and a hard worker, but you can never really tell until they've been exposed to the league.

[hiphop1]

I still think his game compares best to VC when he was comming out. Both strong, physical high flyers, whos shots were questionable but you had to respect them because of their devestating power.

[Gomes3PC]

Walker's weaknesses include jump shooting, consistency, a tendency to hog the ball, and being very raw on the defensive side of the ball.

When evaluating him as a player though, you don't want to just pick him apart. He is strong as an ox for his frame, and like Pierce he has good footwork from what I've seen when he is on his game. That combo allowed him to beat up college forwards who were not strong or quick enough to handle him on the wing or the high block.

I like Gidden's to contribute consistently from early on in his career, and I expect him to carve out a niche with the Celtics. In his prime I see him as a poor man's Tayshaun Prince. Long and athletic at the 2/3, he can block shots, defend, hit open 3s, and handle the ball a little bit. More of a support character than a leading role. Walker, on the other hand, has tremendous potential. Like Leon Powe, he fell not because of talent issues or character problems, but injury woes. Powe(r) has stayed healthy with us, and if Walker can do the same I expect him to burst through in his 2nd or 3rd year. We have to be patient with him, but he has Maggette/Pierce-lite skills, and in the right situation can be a #1A/#2 scorer.

That being said, he is very raw and is a significant injury risk, enough so that every team passed on him and several teams passed twice. This is despite being one of the 5-6 best pure athletes in the draft, where in past years guys like that have gotten drafted as lotto picks (Martell Webster, Kedrick Brown, etc.). Getting him for almost nothing in the 2nd and stashing him in the D-League for a while won't hurt the Celtics and it certainly could pay dividends down the line. I personally love the move, as it is similar to what the Blazers have been doing to amass talent- buy picks from cap-strapped teams and stash talent at the back of the bench or Europe.

[billfromBoston]

...I like the Maggette comparison, that is probably the best comparison in terms of strength/athleticism coupled with potential impact....I do think his defense is one of his strengths..his whole game is raw, but he showed very solid defensive instincts and intensity...

JR Giddens is FAR, FAR more athletic than Prince, but I can see the comparison in terms of production...however, I think Giddens is a pretty similar talent to Walker...they both have high-end potential, but are each more probable to develop into role players than stars...that's kind of obvious I guess, but you get the point...