Check out these stats from last night.......

[MoonKnight]

22bds, 17 pts, 8-14 fg in 41 minutes. Ben Wallace? Shaq? No. Pryzbilla? Yep. It would take Collier a month of games to get those numbers. I guess to his credit the signing of Collier over Pryz is the only major bad move so far by BK.

[macdaddy]

That's just one game. The game before he had 4 points, 1 rebound in 27 minutes. I'm not a big Collier fan but Pryz is an ok defender and a poor offensive player. Collier is poor at defense but has a decent shot. I don't see much difference. I'll take Drobs over both of them.

[delanceyj]

to BK's credit, Pryz was hurt after only a handful of games last year w/ the Hawks, to go along with his injury history, maybe BK was just playing it safe.. and who knows, maybe BK offered a deal to Pryz but he wanted no part of it..

[Wretch]

BK was so p#ssed at those mercenaries last season for playing better than they should have that he decided to bring none of them back. Seriously, he traded away all that talent so that we'd suck so badly that we'd end up with the highest possible draft pick and a chance to land D.Howard. He was completetly enamored with the guy and I think he had a one-two punch of Howard and Smith all lined up. Which makes me think that he wants us to stink it up this year too...and that there really is a good chance Toine is gone at midseason.

[Employee8]

Wretch, we've been back-and-forth on the Walker issue. The only way we will truly find out(obviously) is to see what occurs(or doesn't occur?) at the Trading Deadline and if it involves AW...Who or what do we get back that would help this team?

[Wretch]

Why does it really matter to you? I mean, you're going to follow Walker wherever he ends up, right? So what does it matter to you where he's playing? Not only that, but if he's shipped off to a contender, wouldn't that make you happy? To see 'Toine fitting in and doing well with a chance to go for the ultimate prize?

I'd think so.

I think you have more issue with him being dealt so many times; which really isn't a knock against him. Boston should have never dealt him in first place and he wasn't really a fit in Dallas. He's still a very good player and I like him.

Still, we've got issues beyond Antoine Walker, and one of them is the serious logjam at the foward position. Room is going to have to be made for the future. People want to see more Smoove, they want to see what we got in Chillz, and it's not going to happen with this logjam. Somebody is going to move.

That much is certain. At the trade deadline or offseason or 2 years down the road? That's a whole other issue entirely.

I was mostly being sarcastic in my remarks above. But BK is a firm believer in the draft. It is obvious that he made the moves last season to pin us to the bottom of the pile for a chance at Dwight Howard. Without knowing what he drafted, I don't think he brought in Walker to build around him...especially considering the situation at the forward spots that we already had. You didn't follow this team before Walker was here, so you really don't understand the situation that we were in last year and our biggest issue before we hired Employee #8...which was Jason Terry.

BK solved that issue nicely. He picked up a more marketable asset, a veteran, an impact post player, and an expiring contract all in one. Furthermore, Walker comes to our team, he shines and his stock increases. But what to do with a player that is obviously going to make us better?

MY opinion is that we are going to get equal value for him at the trade deadline or we are going to keep him. Who are we going to get for Walker? I don't invest in fan trade scenarios, because a) the home team always over-value's their players b) situations dictate trades more than anything and c) there are 30 different situations in the NBA. Us who are behind the lines watching it on TV can do nothing more than speculate...and the most popular trade scenarios (like last year's the Reef for Radmanovic/something-or-other/someone-or-other) never even come into play.

Our biggest needs are PG, outside shooting, and C. But the quandry is...the draft is full of PGs that we don't have to deal ANYTHING for. So, I'd just as soon keep Toine, resign him, and draft a PG.

I'd trade Walker for a high draft pick, and BK will too if he gets the offer. But nobody is going to do that (straight up or 3-way) at midseason without assurance that Walker is going to resign. So I don't think that's going to happen either.

Trading for a shooter...well, shoots ourselves in the foot. Where would we put him? At the point...? A position we are likely drafting for. At the 2...? Are we pushing Chills' development back or dealing him without even SEEING what the kid can do? Skip the 3 and 4...obviously. At the 5? See where I'm going with this?

The only real scenarios that make sense are trade big, draft small or trade small and draft big. I do not view the Dalembert trade as equal value, nor would Philly without us sweetening the deal or taking bad contracts...neither would I be willing to do for a player who may be nothing more than a serviceable big man.

BK traded for White Chocolate before, and with us needing a PG, I think he might be looking at him again. If Swift could be traded, I think BK would make a move for both of these guys - and even though I don't speculate on trades - THIS would be the Toine trade that I'd go with.

Utah is being said to be going with dealing Arroyo for whatever they can get. That might be a scenario worth looking at.

But regardless, getting into specifics is pointless. The most important question is not what Walker would be dealt for it is why would he be dealt.

And anyone, even those who would like to see Walker stay here, could give you plenty of reasons. I am not a Walker-not-liker... or whatever. I like his talent and I know first and foremost, that it takes talent to attract talent. I am not confident in our ability to attract FAs so I'd resign him in the summer IF we didn't get a mindblowing deal (and again, I don't find Dalembert mindblowing). I could see BK dealing him for a couple of 1sts (maybe a good 1st and a conditional mid to late 1st).

At the same time, I don't see Walker here longterm if this team doesn't turn it around. Which I don't believe they will before the next two seasons.

[chillzatl]

he's a below average talent role player. Don't feel bad because we let another team pay for his mediocrity.

[Lascar78]

exactly. Collier played much, much better than him last year. And yet I don't see him doing much this year. If the team's bad enough, even a mediocre player will get stats on some nights. He's worthless though

[Wretch]

I think Pryz was a little tougher, stronger, and a better rebounder. I think he would have been a better fit.

[MoonKnight]

Agreed except that Pryz, who is still a young guy, has potential to get better. IMO Pryz played better than Collier did last season regardless of any stats. He clearly would have been a better fit here and would seem to be more of a Woodson type player than Collier.

[Employee8]

Great post, wretch. You make me feel smarter after absorbing such wisdom. (no sarcasm intended, by the way...lol)

Anyway, I won't follow Walker should he be traded. Sure I'd keep tabs on him to see how he's doing(wherever he might be) but I'll most likely remain here to watch Smoove, Chill, and possibly CHRIS PAUL(!!) Grow as a team.

And I'm sure Tip will point out how I said the same thing before I left the Dallas Mavericks board but they didn't have J-SMOOVE on their team. Smoove is actually the reason why I would remain here instead of Following Mr.#8 into the great beyond...