Bill Walker's Chance?

[KeepBigAl]

He'd get a foul a minute

thats better than Mikki's average!

[xmuscularghandix]

He's gonna bring us some nice moments next year, people go insane when he throws it down. thats the type of stuff that if you can get it during a run it's gonna eat up the other teams TO's.

[gkiteisscal]

I was thinking about Bill Walker after G4. My thoughts were that Doc doesn't want to play the young guys because they lack experience, are liabilities on both ends of the floor and are prone to poor judgment.  Then my next thought was so is Mikki Moore.  

IMO if Doc was going to stick someone out there that was going to make bonehead mistakes, fail to defend, rebound or produce on the offensive end; I'd rather it be Bill Walker than Mikki Moore.  I'd even give Moore the benefit of the doubt if he got veteran calls from the refs or showed some savvy but he doesn't, he is as bad as playing a green rookie.

Do I think he will get play? No!  I agree that Doc will go small with PP @ 4, RA @ 3, TA/EH/Marbury @ 2 and just try to out run them.

[Fafnir]

He'd get a foul a minute

thats better than Mikki's average!

It actually isn't. Both would be foul machines. However, Moore would be defending a more natural matchup and has actually played signifigant minutes in the playoffs/regular season before.

Asking a Rookie who has only had limited minutes due to injury and garbage time to guard a big time offensive player in a playoff game would be unfair to him and the team.

[KeepBigAl]

It actually isn't. Both would be foul machines. However, Moore would be defending a more natural matchup

As Lewis true position is a 3, Walker is a FAR more natural matchup. Mikki is a skinny 7 foot center who does not have the lateral movement to stay with Lewis and will be handchecking Lewis all game.

I'm not saying Walker is going to shut him down or is even a great option...but he is our best off the bench if Scal is out.

[Fafnir]

It actually isn't. Both would be foul machines. However, Moore would be defending a more natural matchup

As Lewis true position is a 3, Walker is a FAR more natural matchup. Mikki is a skinny 7 foot center who does not have the lateral movement to stay with Lewis and will be handchecking Lewis all game.

I'm not saying Walker is going to shut him down or is even a great option...but he is our best off the bench if Scal is out.

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four. He'd destroy Walker on drives and in the post as well.
A much better option is to have Pierce guard him at the four. Which is what Doc will do if he is forced too.

Some rookies show they can play early in their careers. Walker hasn't been one of them. It is game 5 of a playoff series. Walker should not see the floor except under garbage time.

[KeepBigAl]

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four.

Rashard is 230 lbs...less than Paul Peirce...and only plays 4 for one reason - b/c Hedu plays the 3. He was a 3 in Seattle.

I would love to play Paul at the 4, but then who guards Hedu if scal is out?

[celts55]

I don't know if Doc would give him a chance in a playoff game, but I'd prefer that to watching Mikki run away from a guy driving to the hoop. His stint in game 4 could be a instructional video for how to play horrible defense. That might have been the worst defense of all time.

[cordobes]

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four.

Rashard is 230 lbs...less than Paul Peirce...and only plays 4 for one reason - b/c Hedu plays the 3. He was a 3 in Seattle.

I would love to play Paul at the 4, but then who guards Hedu if scal is out?

Lewis has a very good post game. Pierce will struggle a lot to contain Lewis in the blocks; let alone Walker, who would be eaten alive.

I'd rather have Ray or Tony Allen guarding Turk.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

I think scal plays...b/c players with the flu usually do.


However, if he sits...do you think there's any chance Bill Walker gets some time against Lewis. Although, 6'10, Lewis is really more of a 3 than a 4...and Mikki is too slow to stay in front of him.

Not to mention, if we play cleveland..it would be nice to have a forward beside Pierce to throw at Lebron for a few minutes a night...

If Scal can't go, then I think Billy is a great call. He'll MAN UP (unlike Mikki) on Lewis and will make him work for everything (again, unlike Mikki). He'll even talk a little smack just to p--- off Lewis (and I think this will help eliminate Lewis from the game as opposed to get him made/make him better/want it more). It also gives Billy some PT in the playoffs (something he should savour) and he can use up his fouls wrapping up D-Howard when presented with the opportunity to do so.

[Ed Teach]

I understand what your saying that a rookie like Walker should not be playing in game 5 of a 2-2 playoff series.  But, don't think Moore should be playing in a game except for garbage time either.  I actually think that Walker may be a better option than Mikki Moore, that is not as much a compliment of Walker but a shot at Moore.

This is just another example of how bad the Celtics depth has gotten during the playoffs.  Before the injuries we could look at moving PP, etc. but we have to play somebody off the bench.  I can see going small using PP and having Marbury and Rondo in at the same time, but there is going to be part of the game where one of TA, Moore, or Walker has to come in and get mins.  In my opinion we have tried TA and Moore and the results have been poor resembling what I would expect from a rookie.  I say put in Walker and keep him on a short leash, he is a guy the Magic haven't seen he could end up playing pretty well.  

[Fafnir]

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four.

Rashard is 230 lbs...less than Paul Peirce...and only plays 4 for one reason - b/c Hedu plays the 3. He was a 3 in Seattle.

I would love to play Paul at the 4, but then who guards Hedu if scal is out?

KG is only 250. Weight doesn't determine your position. He played the 3 in Seattle, but he can play either position. I think he's best suited at the 4 personally. If only that it forces a mismatch more frequently.

[Fafnir]

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four.

Rashard is 230 lbs...less than Paul Peirce...and only plays 4 for one reason - b/c Hedu plays the 3. He was a 3 in Seattle.

I would love to play Paul at the 4, but then who guards Hedu if scal is out?

Lewis has a very good post game. Pierce will struggle a lot to contain Lewis in the blocks; let alone Walker, who would be eaten alive.

I'd rather have Ray or Tony Allen guarding Turk.

Agreed. Doc has done this in games during the series. He's had our SGs guard Hedo for stretches when they've gone bigger.

Walker isn't ready for playoff basketball.

[xmuscularghandix]

Rashard is a 4 who likes to shoot threes. Just because he plays like a 3 "should" doesn't mean he isn't a legit four.

Rashard is 230 lbs...less than Paul Peirce...and only plays 4 for one reason - b/c Hedu plays the 3. He was a 3 in Seattle.

I would love to play Paul at the 4, but then who guards Hedu if scal is out?

Lewis has a very good post game. Pierce will struggle a lot to contain Lewis in the blocks; let alone Walker, who would be eaten alive.

I'd rather have Ray or Tony Allen guarding Turk.

What? Ray can barely guard Ben Gordon, and TA can only play lock down D against stupid players that aren't smart enough to just throw upfakes at him.

[KeepBigAl]

KG is only 250. Weight doesn't determine your position. He played the 3 in Seattle, but he can play either position. I think he's best suited at the 4 personally. If only that it forces a mismatch more frequently.

I don't see anyway to compare KG to Lewis. KG is 7 feet tall, an athletic freak, and was probably stronger at age 16 than Lewis is now.

Generating mis-matches is the one upside to having a player out of position.