It's become somewhat of a Tradition these days. Come see Team 'A' play B-Ball, Boo Antoine Walker(who plays on Team 'A'), Drink Beer and Eat 'something', Boo Walker some more...Kind of like a broken record that plays over and over and over and over again with no end in sight(or at least no one to come by and cut off the power, anyway)....You almost have to feel for the guy whose only crime was not fulfilling the "potential" and "unrealistic expectations" that boston fans(and fans in general) demanded. He really is a solid player but these days, just being a "solid player" with the skills that he has is just NOT ENOUGH. Of course, that's not to say that the criticism, vitriol, and booing from Heat Fans isn't well-deserved....But let's look at it from different angles.On the one hand, he has had an AWFUL SEASON thus far, Period. It is perhaps the worst start to a season in his entire career which is saying something considering that he has a career 41% FG percentage. Aside from the starting 5-10 games where he's played "alright" ball, the rest of the way looked like something out of a horror film without the Blood and Gore(though there was plenty of vomit by Heat fans alike when Watching him impersonate a B-Ball player). It always seemed that no matter what he did - whether it was attempting a shot and/or passing the ball - it always ended up being the WRONG PLAY at the WRONG TIME. Even the previous night at home against Memphis when he had 2 point-blank Layups...He missed them both in going 2-8 from the floor and the crowd letting him have it, obviously fed up with his "struggles" this season. In fact, there have been rumors of him being shopped(Maggete, Watson, A.I., etc), though nothing of note has been definite as of yet. All In all, it hasn't been good to be Employee #8 thus far this year.HOWEVER, on the other hand, other factors do appear to have come into play as far as Walker's struggles go. Let's start with the first and perhaps main factor :1.) Shaq's absence. Make No mistake about it. Walker performs very well playing off of Shaq. Sure you can say that for most of the players but for Walker it's become absolutely essential to have Shaq in the lineup for him to truly be effective. Shaq opens up lanes for Walker to drive and prevents opposing defenders from closing in on him, thus making it easier to get to the rim and score(or dump it off to Shaq for a dunk). Not coincidentally, Walker's downward spiral began when Shaq went down and had knee surgery. He got so used to Shaq being there that he wasn't truly prepared to have to deal with all the double-teams and extra-attention once again. Add the fact that he never was a great leaper to begin with(major understatement) and you understand just how imperative having Shaq in there is for Antoine. Plus, with Shaq in there, Walker doesn't have the pressure on him to be the 2nd option(a pressure that has plagued him these days).
2.) New so-called basketball. SHAQ said the ball was garbage...He was right. But also, It is very possible that the B-ball has done more to hurt Walker's game than just about any player in the League today(well there is Ray Allen whose 3pt% is down to 31% from last years 41% but I digress). From someone who has followed Walker's career from his days in Beantown to now, let me tell you that while he's been "mediocre" for the most part throughout his career, he's NEVER EVER been *this* bad and I should know. From the complaints I've heard of how the ball bounces the wrong way, slips out of a players hands too quickly upon shooting, and so forth, it becomes extremely probable that most of Walker's recent issues performance-wise are directly linked to that "Basketball".
3.) Lack of Shot-attempts/Playing Time. Walker said it himself once that he is a "Volume-Shooter" so he needs at least 12-15 shots per game to get into the flow. However, with his struggles, Dorell Wright's emergence, and Riley playing him just a shade over 10 minutes per as of late, he will never get a legit shot at doing this. Now some say this is good but I don't really think it is, actually....'cause now you'd have an expensive bench-warmer just sitting there when he could be out there playing 35 to 40 minutes per and getting you 15-18(maybe 20 if it's a good night) instead. Pat Riley would need to go and Start Antoine at the 4 again full-time if Toine is ever going to get it going once again 'cause as it is right now, there will be no end in sight for those 2-8 nights...
4.) Fans constant booing and heckling. There is no such thing as having a "thick skin". When you're out there trying to do the best job that you can in helping your team and then get booed for your trouble when you "stumble", it's NOT a good feeling at all. And I have no doubt that it affects Antoine. He's the type of player who feeds off the Crowd's electricity but when that Crowd turns against him, and he has no confidence, it makes it even more difficult to get back any "mojo" he has lost. I mean...It's sad, really. Fans have already forgotten how he played a critical role last year in helping the Heat win the title; how his performance against the Nets spelled the difference between advancing to the ECF and Going Home; how his Game 6 Performance(particularly in the 3rd quarter) helped keep the Mavericks at bay in their OWN BUILDING on the way to helping Miami claim its(and his) first Title. It's just not right...but anyway...
Bottom Line : Whether Antoine is traded this year(doubtful) or not, one thing is for certain. He has done what Riley brought him here to do. He has proven that he CAN be part of a Championship team and win the big one when everyone said he couldn't. So wherever he ends up in the future(whether that's still here in South Beach or in Seattle/Philly/wherever-else), he'll always be able to look himself in the mirror when he wakes up and say "Good Morning, Champ". 'Cause after all, that's what he is.
