If it comes down to getting AW for the MLE or EW for the trade exception it is hands down a no-brainer for a GM. You sign AW, he has game and is durable despite the BS about him looking older than 29. Anyway, I am tired of the SAR, Swift, AW dance. After the latest SAR news that he wants more than the MLE, it looks increasingly unrealistic that any of these guys are going to play for anyone for the MLE.
When trying to sell Walker why does everyone talk offense exclusively? Actually pretty much the whole case for him is based on his three point range, his passing, his ability to be a point forward, the perception that no one will ever double team off of him, etc. The only positive he has that will be of value to the power forward position next to Yao Ming on this particular team is his rebounding, that's it though, nothing more. We forget that JVG is a defense FIRST coach so the Rockets have to be a defense FIRST team, Walker is not a defense first, second or third player. Most of the moves Van Gundy has made has been for players that play or have proven ability to play good defense. Tracy McGrady was a Scottie Pippen like defender with the Raptors, Dikembe Mutombo is a 4 time DPOY, Mike James was awesome with Detroit, David Wesley has always been an underrated defender, Jon Barry has been stereotyped as a bad defender because he's white but he was never a bad defender, Ryan Bowen's positives have nothing to do with offense, Charlie Ward was always a good defensive player. Hardly any of the player decisions made with him on board have been offensive minded and I hope it doesn't start with Antoine Walker. Although I doubt it big time the only thing that makes any sense to me from Van Gundy's point of view is that he might see the new Anthony Mason in Antoine Walker, someone here brought that up and if that's the case for the sake of the Rockets I hope somebody has knocked some sense into him, Walker is not Mason, he's not even close to a broken down Grandma Ma Larry Johnson. I doubt that though, I really don't think the Rocket's interest is coming from Jeff Van Gundy at all, maybe he took a small vacation and CD was up to his old tricks again or hopefully he's playing a mind game with his real target, Stromile!. You know, trying to make it seem as if they don't need him as much as he might think, driving down his asking price by saying "hey, we can easily get Antoine and his 18-9-4 for the MLE"... or something like that.
Agreed. Nicely said. If shot selection and defense are the only two anchors of Toine's game, then JVG is perhaps the best coach in the league to help him. JVG can't help folks with rebounding, playing with heart, passing, etc. But he CAN help him with defense and shot selection (by incorporating him in his structured offensive sets). Passing in contagious when you beleive in your teammates and we saw that last season. I have faith that JVG would have AW buying into the system after he see's how successful it works.
