Welcome to Walker World
Antoine was the player that I found myself loving one minute and then hating the next minute when he was with the Celtics.
First, let me say that I love Antoine as a player. He is a great leader, he is a great paser and ball handler for someone his size, he has some clever ways to score around the basket, he is a good rebounder when he finds himself in close enough to rebound, as a teammate he has your back, he can get very hot from the three point line, he can and has played every position on the floor. Antoine has a very strong personality. This is a great trait in a person...but sometimes it is a tough trait for a team.
Antoine has his faults. He takes ill-advised shots before the offense has had a chance to try to run a play for a better shot. Sometimes he controls the ball for too long on a possession...the result is either a great pass for an easy shot, a poor shot because the offense is stagnant, or a turnover.
In Boston for a couple of years he was the only player with any real talent that the C's had. With Pierce, Walker became part of a playoff team.
Can Walker coexist with a very talented team and be a part of a championship? That is the chance that the Mavericks are taking this season. Many are impressed with Walker. Some are saying that he is the best player on the Mavs. I'll let you in on something that should not be a secret: Dirk Nowitski is the best player on the Mavs. Here is another: Steve Nash is the next best player. The two together are magic.
I think that Walker is great. I also think that Walker's strength of personality, and his domination of the ball are having a negative impact on the Mavs at times. Nash is one of the best point guards in the NBA. He needs to be the man handling the ball most of the time. Nowitski is one of the best shooters in the NBA. He is the one who should be taking the shots for Dallas.
I have seen Walker work wonderfully with Dallas. There are times when a Mavs fan can really beleive that they will finally win the whole thing.
I have, however, seen Walker's game take away from Nash and Dirk.
Overall, I think that the Mavs made a killing in the Walker deal in terms of talent. But I question whether Walker can become more of a pure team player who can help elevate his teammates game in Dallas and put them over the other West elite.
