Riley 'irritated' by portly, 262-pound Walker
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/b...,5413453.story
By Ira Winderman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
October 11, 2007
MIAMI - Pat Riley sees the possibilities in Antoine Walker. It is why he so much wants to make things work with the veteran forward.
But Riley also sees the deficiencies in Walker's conditioning. And that has the Heat coach "beyond irritated."
In an unusual display of candor, Riley said before Wednesday's 106-100 overtime exhibition loss to the Hawks that Walker is behind the team's conditioning goals and might not be deemed fit enough to play more than 20 minutes per game until January.
"It's beyond irritating," Riley said. "I'm beyond being irritated. I was irritated the first year when I signed him. I was really irritated last year. I'm beyond irritated. I don't have time to be irritated."
Riley rarely discusses players' conditioning figures, but said Walker reported to camp earlier this month at 262 pounds and 15 percent body fat. The 6-foot-9 veteran is listed in the team's media guide at 245 pounds.
"Antoine is a long ways away from making his conditioning goal," Riley said. "He'll probably make it by January, if he makes it."
After the loss, Riley tempered his comments, saying that Walker had lost six pounds since the start of training camp and now is down to 256.
"I just wanted to let it out there," he said. "I'm not ripping him."
Riley suspended Walker for four games at midseason last season for failing to meet team conditioning standards. The players' union is appealing those fines.
"It's a whole different thing between Antoine and myself," Riley said. "That's who he is; that's what his belief is."
Walker, 31, said he did not see it as an issue, noting he has been limited by Achilles tendinitis since the start of camp and also was robbed at gunpoint over the summer at his Chicago home.
"My Achilles is holding me back," he said. "We'll see when the time comes. I don't worry about it.
"The last four months have been rough for me."
Riley said it is nothing personal.
"He's in good condition," Riley said. "But he's not in optimum condition and what I would like to is get him in optimum condition. That's all we're trying to do."
Walker played an uneven 16 minutes Wednesday, with four points on 2-of-6 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.
Riley said Walker is "in good enough playing shape to play 15 or 20 minutes," an amount that almost certainly would preclude a spot in the starting lineup.
"He is not in my doghouse," Riley said. "It's just disappointing to me."
Walker has this season and next season guaranteed on his Heat contract, with both the Heat or Walker able to void the remaining two seasons on the deal beyond that.
"I'm always saying, 'I wonder what he would be like at 235 and seven percent?' " Riley said. "I dream of those numbers. And I know he could get there. Maybe he can't. We've talked to doctors about it and they say, if he wanted to, he could.
"We need him. We need his offense, his versatility."
PARKER ALSO CITED
Riley also addressed the conditioning of Smush Parker, wondering if the point guard truly knew what he was getting into when he signed in the offseason as a free agent. "He didn't do his homework," Riley said of Parker, who closed with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting Wednesday. …
Riley opened with Shaquille O'Neal at center, Udonis Haslem at power forward, Wright at small forward, Jeremy Richardson at shooting guard and Jason Williams at point guard. … O'Neal played only the first half, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting but just one rebound in 16 minutes. Walker started the second half in his place. …
Alonzo Mourning entered to a rousing ovation with 4:41 to play in the third quarter, his first preseason appearance… Penny Hardaway (quadriceps), Alexander Johnson (hamstring) and Dwyane Wade (knee, shoulder) did not dress.