New Knick Walker says he saw lack of leaders

KNICKMATIC809

Benchwarmer
By MARC BERMAN

Bill Walker, one of the season's pleasant revelations, said he believes one of the reasons for the Knicks' 29-53 final record was a lack of leadership in the locker room.

Walker, who came from Boston in the Nate Robinson trade on Feb. 18, told The Post it was jarring after spending two seasons in Boston with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to see none of the Knicks veterans stepping up in the leadership department.

Walker is expected to be part of the Knicks future. His contract for next season becomes guaranteed Aug. 1 and he likely is a keeper unless they need an extra $800,000 in salary-cap space. The Knicks must round out important roster spots with minimum-wage players if they are to fit one or two superstars under the cap.

"What I can tell from over there (in Boston), KG, Paul, and Ray take the initiative every day,'' Walker said. "You just had guys be more accountable for everything. That's where it starts. The head coach can only say so much. You have to have guys in the locker room take what the coach says and makes sure it gets applied. There weren?t enough leaders in the locker room.''

Walker's remark underscores the notion the Knicks were doomed from the start because of a slew of veterans with expiring contracts who knew they weren't part of next season's plans. Walker is ? astoundingly so.

"I'm definitely excited to be part of the conversation,'' Walker said. "To be part of a group of guys to come in and change the attitude around here.''

When the trade was made, the coaching staff considered Walker ? as one assistant coach said ? "an afterthought.'' But his athletic game, improved perimeter shot and good character excited Mike D'Antoni

Walker averaged 11.9 points on 51.8 percent shooting - 43 percent from downtown.

"It's definitely a good thing to hear,'' Walker said about being mentioned as part of next season. "I feel like this was really my rookie season. And I made up ground quick. I look forward to the offseason, rounding out my game, getting a lot better and having a breakout campaign.''

Walker, whose stock dropped because of two knee surgeries, including one in high school, was a second-round pick of the Celtics in 2008 and played 37 games in two seasons in Boston.

Walker likely will play for the Knicks' summer league team in Las Vegas in July.

"I didn't expect anything,'' D'Antoni said. "I didn't know him. He shot the ball extremely well and was not afraid to take the big shot. We got a good feel for him.''

D'Antoni added Walker must drop weight for his speedball system.

"He's got to get his body right,'' D'Antoni said. "Because of knee injuries and all that, he has too much weight on him.''

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/knicksblog/new_knick_walker_says_he_saw_lack_s2QYCEHvT0nSZlfNWuRXeN
 

Paul1355

All Star
Walker is right...there was no leadership mainly because Mike D gave CHris Duhon and Al Harrington the captain roles in teh start of the year...nice pick Mike...both players wound up coming off the bench!

If anyone was a leader it was David Lee but Lee was by himself in almost every game with his hustle and skill.

Walker will be a nice piece to add for only $800,000 and with him we can take our focus off of any backup SG/SF....Chandler, Walker, Gallo...were set at the 6'6 to 6'8 range players...

Now we need big men, one more SG...a pure shooting SG, and two centers.
 

knicksin60

Starter
I'm tired of these players blaming everybody else but themselves for a teams' failures.If Bill Walker believes that there weren't enough leaders on the Knicks then he should either read some books on how to be an effective leader or ask his former Celtic teammates to give him Leadership 101 classes.Isn't it funny how almost every Knick in the last 10 years has depended on other teammates to lead them in both the locker room and on the court? I don't see what's so difficult about being a little more vocal when it comes to motivating the team that you play for.These guys are either lazy or don't care about winning and involving their teammates.
 
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knicksin60

Starter
Walker is right...there was no leadership mainly because Mike D gave CHris Duhon and Al Harrington the captain roles in teh start of the year...nice pick Mike...both players wound up coming off the bench!

If anyone was a leader it was David Lee but Lee was by himself in almost every game with his hustle and skill.

Walker will be a nice piece to add for only $800,000 and with him we can take our focus off of any backup SG/SF....Chandler, Walker, Gallo...were set at the 6'6 to 6'8 range players...

Now we need big men, one more SG...a pure shooting SG, and two centers.

Well it's a shame that Donnie Walsh will most likely not go after a legit big man since he will be trying to build a non-defensive team that will fit D'antoni's system.
 

moneyg

Starter
in order to be a leader you have to be on the court and contribute. walker never had that opt in boston. i think its more a shot a david lee than anything. he was our best player and he should of been more of a leader and got in some of these guys face. i think that is the main knock on lee. is does he have that fire and the will to pull a teamate aside and straighten him out.:smokin:
 

Paul1355

All Star
Well it's a shame that Donnie Walsh will most likely not go after a legit big man since he will be trying to build a non-defensive team that will fit D'antoni's system.
lol I think Donnie is as frustrated as we are with the defense and donnie is basically only keeping guys that he knows have some skill on defense.

There has been rumors of Donnie going after Theabodou the Celtics assitant coach...we can give him a big offer just to teach defense.

Check out the press conference with Mike D and Donnie....they dont really say much like usual but when the topic of defense comes up Donnie doesn't act like Mike D.

http://www.nba.com/knicks/video/2010/04/15/knicksendseason41410NBAmov-1290968/index.html
 

knicksin60

Starter
lol I think Donnie is as frustrated as we are with the defense and donnie is basically only keeping guys that he knows have some skill on defense.

There has been rumors of Donnie going after Theabodou the Celtics assitant coach...we can give him a big offer just to teach defense.

Check out the press conference with Mike D and Donnie....they dont really say much like usual but when the topic of defense comes up Donnie doesn't act like Mike D.

http://www.nba.com/knicks/video/2010/04/15/knicksendseason41410NBAmov-1290968/index.html

Had there been no date of that interview, I would have thought that interview took place 2 years ago.Walsh and D'antoni basically said the same thing for the twenty thousandth time:We could have settled for mediocrity by not trading away the pieces that we had, we aren't going to be concentrating on just two superstars this upcoming July, we wan't to bring back a top seeded team to the MSG fans, the Knicks showed flashes of greatness even though they were a losing team and we are looking to make a splash in the NBA draft even though it would have taken close to a decade to rebuild with draft picks.

I wonder what new things Walsh and D'antoni will be coming up with if they don't do anything major this summer and the Knicks still stink next season.I hope I am wrong, but unless the Knicks get either Lebron, Wade, Anthony or CP3, they will be back in the same position that they were in when they still had Randolph, Crawford and Marbury.I respect Donnie Walsh for what he is trying to do, but does he not realize that it is near impossible for a team to win an NBA championship without stressing defense and a superstar player to lead them along the way?
 

Paul1355

All Star
Had there been no date of that interview, I would have thought that interview took place 2 years ago.Walsh and D'antoni basically said the same thing for the twenty thousandth time:We could have settled for mediocrity by not trading away the pieces that we had, we aren't going to be concentrating on just two superstars this upcoming July, we wan't to bring back a top seeded team to the MSG fans, the Knicks showed flashes of greatness even though they were a losing team and we are looking to make a splash in the NBA draft even though it would have taken close to a decade to rebuild with draft picks.

I wonder what new things Walsh and D'antoni will be coming up with if they don't do anything major this summer and the Knicks still stink next season.I hope I am wrong, but unless the Knicks get either Lebron, Wade, Anthony or CP3, they will be back in the same position that they were in when they still had Randolph, Crawford and Marbury.I respect Donnie Walsh for what he is trying to do, but does he not realize that it is near impossible for a team to win an NBA championship without stressing defense and a superstar player to lead them along the way?
That's were a defensive assistant coach might be signed this year because we all know Herb Williams has done nothing as the "Defensive coach" and with the extra money Donnie should sign someone to teach defense.

Donnie is also hoping that an all star can lead the team and maybe just coach defense on his own lol. Mike D never teaches it which is why you need players to take the initiative and teach it to each other...really despicable when you think about the 6 million Mike D is getting paid.
 

SSj4Wingzero

All Star
I don't think D'Antoni's getting re-signed. Forget his lack of defense, his lame substitutions and the nonsensical DNP-CDs for guys like Darko and Jordan Hill should be enough to get him the boot from NY.
 

Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
It's looking like 2 years to find out that nobody wants anything to do with any other team than their current one.

I'm beginning to wonder if we're well and truly ****ed this off-season.
 

TR1LL10N

Hannibal Lecter
It's looking like 2 years to find out that nobody wants anything to do with any other team than their current one.

I'm beginning to wonder if we're well and truly ****ed this off-season.

I'm worried too ONLY because we traded draft picks to clear cap space for 2010. If we don't get at least one true superstar this off season then there was no rush to trade JJ or Hill and we could have held on to our future picks. It's never bad to have cap flexibility moving forward but the loss of those pics hurts if we are not dominating soon.
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
Geez. Another thread that has nothing to do with D'Antoni being dominated by anti-D'Antoni posts. How original.
 

nyk_nyk

All Star
I'm worried too ONLY because we traded draft picks to clear cap space for 2010. If we don't get at least one true superstar this off season then there was no rush to trade JJ or Hill and we could have held on to our future picks. It's never bad to have cap flexibility moving forward but the loss of those pics hurts if we are not dominating soon.

That's everything in a nutshell.
 

ibraheim718

Benchwarmer
Odds are we are going to get one of the marquee names this off season. Especially the way the playoffs are turning out. The bucks one game away from ousting the hawks. The Heat getting pretty much embarrassed by Boston. You never know if the Cavs lose to the C's. Toronto collapsing and missing the playoffs.
 
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