# Nelson: Walker will get minutes if he plays well



## Ben1 (May 20, 2003)

Link 

_Nelson admitted disappointment with Walker's public comments after Monday's 103-90 win over Phoenix. Walker didn't hide his frustration after playing just 18 minutes against the Suns and openly questioned his role on the team. Walker did his best to move past the issue Tuesday, vowing not to be a distraction.

Nelson said Walker would hold down his usual spot in the starting lineup tonight at Sacramento. How much Walker plays -- he's started all 63 games this season -- will depend on how he performs.

"He's my starter," Nelson said. "He's going to continue to start. But he's no different than anybody else. If a player's not playing well and somebody is playing better behind him, then that guy is going to play. I'm not going to be intimidated by someone yelling and screaming and whatever. It doesn't affect me. I'm going to do what's right as a coach."

What is right, according to Nelson, is putting the players on the floor who are contributing. Against the Suns, Nelson played Antawn Jamison, Josh Howard and Eduardo Najera a combined 95 minutes off the bench.

"Well, there's 240 minutes per game last time I looked at it," Nelson said. "There's only so many to go around. There are some deserving players that deserve to play these minutes. And I'm going to give more minutes to the guy that is playing the best. It doesn't matter who it is. It's just the way it is. If somebody plays more, somebody's going to play less. It's the guy most deserving and the guy that is least productive or having a bad game at that time."

Walker, who declined to talk to the media Wednesday, is averaging 36.1 minutes per game this season, but only 23 in the past four games. He's shooting just 27 percent in his past five games (13-of-48) and is averaging 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds.

_


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## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

The other twan is playing better so he should quit his whining and work on his game.


If this keeps up he probably won't be a Mav next year.


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## vandyke (Jan 8, 2004)

*That didn't take long*

It didn't take long before Walker is starting to disrupt chemistry for this Mavericks team, I wonder what anyone thinks the chances are that the Mavericks will resign him next year, I would say right now it is 50-50. If not what other teams do you think would be interested? I know for sure if he thinks that a team out there is going to give him a veteran maximum contract he is going to be disappointed.


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## mavsman (Jun 11, 2003)

*Re: That didn't take long*



> Originally posted by <b>vandyke</b>!
> It didn't take long before Walker is starting to disrupt chemistry for this Mavericks team, I wonder what anyone thinks the chances are that the Mavericks will resign him next year, I would say right now it is 50-50. If not what other teams do you think would be interested? I know for sure if he thinks that a team out there is going to give him a veteran maximum contract he is going to be disappointed.


I don't think one moment of frustration out of Walker with the
media means that he has disrupted chemistry. However I don't
think he is right for this team.

Walker has a players option for next year at about 14 mil and he
will surely excercise that option. I think the best bet with him
is to save him until we get close to next years trade deadline.
His value next year will be a 14mil expiring contract. So some
team who is trying to free up some cap space would be willing
to give us one or more of thier longer contracts for an expiring
one in Walker. That is why this year we did not have much chance
to trade Jamison or Walker because both had multi-year contracts. 
I believe that if we had expiring contracts that we
would have made a move this year.

Its clear that this team must make some moves after this season.
I don't think we will be winning the championship anytime soon with 
this current team. But I don't think we are miles away either.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

> "I'm a volume shooter,"


Link 

Why does Walker have to shoot? Why can't he rebound and pass instead? Why can't he understand that if your not making shots, you quit throwing them up? And why oh why does a guy shooting 27% from behind the arch take 4.3 threes a game?

Can someone tell me why???


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

I took his comments from ESPn to mean that he was ineffective and did not understand why. I think he had 9 rebounds or so in 18 minutes.


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## mavsman (Jun 11, 2003)

I loved Walkers quote yesterday when he said that
"I am a volume shooter". I guess that is suppose to mean
that if he gets 20 shots he will shoot better than if he gets 6-8
shots in the game. 

The problem with that even if true is that it raises his shooting
percentage from 25% to 35% if he gets more shots. So tell me
who the heck wants a 35-38% shooter taking 20 shots in a
game?

Its too bad because when he first got here he was shooting
in the mid 40's percetage wise and he was contributing in other
ways. He was averaging 10 rebounds per game and 5+ assists.

But as his shooting went down so did everything else. His
rebounding average has been falling all season. And it not just
because his minutes have dropped because that has only
started happening lately and the RPG average was dropping 
even before the minutes were.


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## Truth34 (May 28, 2003)

*Antoine is a good player, but....*

He can't shoot. His percentage was pretty good because of the players he plays with. If he were in Boston or a team with less offensive studs, he'd be shooting 35-39%. He cannot shoot a free throw, misses a lot of layups, and fires up a TON of threes (which some people think the coaches make him do, which is like saying they make Drew Carey eat).

I'm glad Antoine will make $14 million of Mark Cuban's dollars next year. Watch out for Jiri Welsch next year.


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## lastlaugh (Oct 30, 2003)

That whole article is as hypocritical as I have ever seen in any paper.
Walker's orginal quotes talked about how he could change his game if he played only 18 minutes. 

I took this from another Mavericks board because I don't have the time to type out the same stuff someone at dallasnews.com wrote but here it is.



But I will come to his defense regarding the quotes on this thread.

"I can't work my way through nothing, man," Walker said. "I'm trying to play every day. It's too late for that. I'm just out here playing. It's tough to do anything in 18 minutes, so whatever the situation is, hopefully it works out the best for this team.

"It's the first time I've dealt with this in my career. I've never played 18 minutes in my life. It's hard for me to adjust to it. It's kind of late in the season, so I'm just going to have to deal with it. My goal has to be to try to keep focused and help this team win. It's tough, man. I'm trying to grind through it."

Look at the quotes...he never points a finger or blames anyone, to include himself. Notice what he said "hopefully it works out the best for this team."

That is a team first comment amidst personal frustration.

He also said..."so I'm just going to have to deal with it. My goal has to be to try to keep focused and help this team win."



These are all comments about the team.
















"To be honest, it's been a tough year since I got traded," Walker said. "I'm happy we stopped the bleeding and I'm happy the team is 16 or 18 games over .500. But we're a deep team and I know some guys are going to suffer."


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## Truth34 (May 28, 2003)

*Good points, last laugh*

Antoine does want to win as badly as anyone else on the Mavericks.


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## vandyke (Jan 8, 2004)

No doubt Walker wants to win, the question is his style of play and his shot selection, as great a player as he is, sometimes his style of play hurts a team more than it helps.


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## TheRifleman (May 20, 2002)

When the Mavs play the Lakers again - you'll be glad you have Walker, as he is so competitive that he wills in last second shots to beat them.

Personally speaking, his rebounds, assists, help defense(rotation - which he has always done well), and spacing alone helps Walker to be the team player he is and always has been.

There is More to a competitive player than JUST scoring.:|


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## benfica (Jul 17, 2002)

*Remember*

what I said at the begining of the season Walker. He is a cancer, no team will want to touch him next season. Howard is a better player.

I have been saying this all along. I don't think Boston would trade Welsch straight up for Walker now.

Time always seem to prove you right.


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## SavSicc (Feb 26, 2004)

Maybe Antoine is trying to make the mavs lose . So the Celtics can get a high draft pick. :yes:


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## lastlaugh (Oct 30, 2003)

Of course he is. This was all a plan he had going with the Celtics and his best friend Danny Ainge.




> Originally posted by <b>SavSicc</b>!
> Maybe Antoine is trying to make the mavs lose . So the Celtics can get a high draft pick. :yes:



Walker wasn't a cancer to the Boston Celtics. 
The trash Dallas gave Boston for Walker is the biggest joke of the NBA season so far.

99% of the Celtics fans would gladly give you back your trash for Walker in a second.
This seems to be a trait of Dallas fans to make ridiculious comments about Walker and his days in Boston.
Comments with out an once of vaildity in them.



> what I said at the begining of the season Walker. He is a cancer, no team will want to touch him next season. Howard is a better player.
> 
> I have been saying this all along. I don't think Boston would trade Welsch straight up for Walker now.
> 
> Time always seem to prove you right.


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## kcchiefs-fan (Oct 28, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>lastlaugh</b>!
> The trash Dallas gave Boston for Walker is the biggest joke of the NBA season so far.


Trash? Jiri Welsch, some cap room in Chris Mills, and Lafrentz (if he ever recooperates, anyway) for Walker seems like a bargain at this point.


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