Antoine Walker was a fine player in his day. Many fans around the league, however, believe that day has passed. Walker himself, however, is not one of those critics. Now playing with the Idaho Stampede of the National Basketball Developmental League (sweet, sweet irony for a 34 year old former all-star to be playing in a “developmental” league), Walker is attempting a comeback to the NBA stage, several years after his peak performance days have passed. Though Walker has put up lofty point totals over a handful on NBA seasons, even a 20 PPG average in Atlanta after his most productive stint in Boston, Walker is a relic of a bygone era in NBA basketball, and not a good one according to most analysts. The Iverson Era, as it could be best summarized, saw the NBA culture lift up chuckers, players who hoisted endless shots of questionable selection, surrounded by role players less demanding of the basketball. When professional players are shooting 30 times a game, after all, it should be relatively easy to fill up the scoring column of the stat sheet. Antoine Walker was among the league leaders year in and year out in three point shots attempted. One would have to scroll a little further down to find his name in three point shots made, just a 32.5 career three point shooter. Not to say Walker didn’t contribute in other areas. During his earlier days, the Big Wiggle was a fine rebounder, regularly averaging 8 a game, even breaking the 10 rebound barrier in his second NBA season. As his body wore down and minutes dwindled over the course of his final three seasons, however, those numbers dropped from 8.3 to 5.1 to 4.4 to 3.7, alongside a similar decline in scoring average. Continue Reading »

1. Josh Howard, Washington (interested: Bulls, Celtics, Wizards) Had he entered free agency last summer as opposed to this summer, Howard would have been in the discussion for one of the lucrative contracts in the off-season. As it stands Howard is coming off a knee injury with lingering questions about his health and attitude. Now 30 as of April, Howard’s days of using his athleticism to get to the basket may now be in jeopardy, which will have teams looking to low-ball him with offers. Despite the concerns, Howard could be one of the bargains of the off-season, as he has more upside than any other remaining player in this free agent class. If he can make a full recovery and get his head screwed on straight, Howard could be a steal for lucky team needing a swingman.
2. Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland (interested: Spurs, Hawks, Mavs) There’s almost as good a chance LeBron will be named Northeast Ohio Man of the Year as there is Shaq will be wearing maroon and gold in October. Expect his massive frame to be draped in other colors, as an aging center simply has no place in what’s sure to be a rebuilding process. Shaq still has value to an NBA squad, providing size, interior defending and even some scoring in limited minutes off the bench, but the big fellow is likely to cost at least a team’s full mid-level exception. Still, for the right team at the right price, the Big Aristotle could be a huge free agency haul. Continue Reading »