Ha! Walker reports out of shape - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

dirt_dobber · 10-03-2007, 11:22 AM

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports...aping-up-.html

Not shaping up well for Walker, two others
Tuesday's opening of training camp was significant for who wasn't on the practice court.

We're not talking about Dwyane Wade, who continues to recover from May knee and shoulder surgeries. And we're not talking about Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning, aging centers who were given time off for good behavior late in Tuesday afternoon's session.

Instead, the focus was on the absences of Antoine Walker, Smush Parker and Earl Barron, the three players who failed to meet their team-mandated conditioning standards and were demoted to time on the stationary bikes and treadmills located one floor below the practice could at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Parker is nursing a sore ankle, and expressed doubt at Monday's media day about his ability to get back to speed. Barron didn't even have a team until last week, before he accepted the Heat's minimal qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

But Walker? Yes, this was a traumatic offseason, being held at gunpoint at his Chicago home this summer. But this also is the same player, who, along with since-departed free-agent forward James Posey, was suspended for four games last January by Riley for failing to meet similar thresholds.

Teammates were not as muted Tuesday as one would have expected, considering Walker helped them win an NBA championship just two years ago.

"You want to come in and everybody be on the same page," Wade said. "It's unfortunate that we have three guys, for different reasons, that didn't make their goals. They have to make it."

Walker has been battling tendinitis in his right Achilles in recent days, but Riley clearly is in no mood to offer sympathy points. In the wake of last season's disappointments, his players understand.

"Pat has his philosophy on that and some guys agree with it, some guys don't," O'Neal said. "He's going to start putting his foot down on the rules. It's just like going to school -- no pass no play. You've got to pass all the given requirements."

The hope, amid the rhetoric at Monday's media day, was this year would be different than last season's crash and burn. Now, one can't be so sure.

u2sarajevo · 10-03-2007, 11:37 AM

Has he ever been IN shape?

edit: cue .... what's his name again? MightyToine?

MavsX · 10-03-2007, 01:34 PM

mightyToine? i hate that guy.

antoinewalker · 10-03-2007, 02:31 PM

man, don't make fun of me!

i've had a rough summer. getting held at gunpoint took a lot out of me. don't worry though. i'll be back in shape by the time the season starts in time to begin my journey to the 3-point crown!

fluid.forty.one · 10-03-2007, 03:32 PM

Didn't the heat have a problem with a few players out of shape after last summer too?

MavsX · 10-03-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antoinewalker

man, don't make fun of me!

i've had a rough summer. getting held at gunpoint took a lot out of me. don't worry though. i'll be back in shape by the time the season starts in time to begin my journey to the 3-point crown!

ah! hes back!

sike · 10-03-2007, 03:44 PM

mqywaaah · 10-04-2007, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

Didn't the heat have a problem with a few players out of shape after last summer too?

Yeah, Wade. He wasn't in his best "Flopping" shape when camp started. They still had to do a few works on it.

Underdog · 10-04-2007, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mqywaaah

Yeah, Wade. He wasn't in his best "Flopping" shape when camp started. They still had to do a few works on it.

Yeah, I wonder what kind of shape the refs are in? (Miami's NEEDS their Finals MVPs in top condition...)

And yes, I believe the refs called the series in favor of Miami, the US government orchestrated 9/11, and this guy killed JFK...

slowmo · 10-04-2007, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mqywaaah

Yeah, Wade. He wasn't in his best "Flopping" shape when camp started. They still had to do a few works on it.

The problem is that when he flops now he ripples for 30 seconds and can't get up!

mqywaaah · 10-04-2007, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowmo

The problem is that when he flops now he ripples for 30 seconds and can't get up!

I believe in the eyes of the Heat Organization they see that as an improvement.

nowhereman · 10-04-2007, 10:43 AM

stress eating much?

mqywaaah · 10-05-2007, 09:57 AM

Stress eating TOO much.

dirt_dobber · 10-11-2007, 07:06 AM

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.

jeffajufo · 10-11-2007, 01:50 PM

I don't understand how a professional athlete can't keep himself in optimal physical conditioin on a constant basis in the 21st Century. This isn't the 50's and 60's where after the season ended athletes just sat around and didn't continue training.(which is why training camps are traditionally so demanding). We are talking about a guy who gets payed an obscene amount of money to play a sport and has fitness trainers, world class exercise facilities, nutrition plans, workout routines and others at his disposal and he shows up 3 weeks before the season begins 20-30 lbs overweight for three straight years?!?!That is unconscionable. What other profession would allow somebody to be that unprepared to do their job on such a constant basis?

Underdog · 10-11-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffajufo

I don't understand how a professional athlete can't keep himself in optimal physical conditioin on a constant basis in the 21st Century. This isn't the 50's and 60's where after the season ended athletes just sat around and didn't continue training.(which is why training camps are traditionally so demanding). We are talking about a guy who gets payed an obscene amount of money to play a sport and has fitness trainers, world class exercise facilities, nutrition plans, workout routines and others at his disposal and he shows up 3 weeks before the season begins 20-30 lbs overweight for three straight years?!?!That is unconscionable. What other profession would allow somebody to be that unprepared to do their job on such a constant basis?

Maybe Walker needs to join our "gimmicky" preseason workout regimen?

alby · 10-11-2007, 11:40 PM

As long as he's in shape during day 1 of the playoffs.

atrewsfan · 10-12-2007, 07:15 AM

Walker's butt is so big they still can't find the last chair he sat on.

Walker's so fat, he could sell shade.

Walker's so fat, his blood type is Ragu.

Walker's so fat he has to iron his clothes on the driveway.

etc.

antoinewalker · 10-14-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atrewsfan

Walker's butt is so big they still can't find the last chair he sat on.

Walker's so fat, he could sell shade.

Walker's so fat, his blood type is Ragu.

Walker's so fat he has to iron his clothes on the driveway.

etc.

your attempts at being funny all failed.

mavsgirl56 · 10-14-2007, 11:41 PM

All I can say about this is.....HA HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!

EricaLubarsky · 10-15-2007, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atrewsfan

Walker's butt is so big they still can't find the last chair he sat on.

Walker's so fat, he could sell shade.

Walker's so fat, his blood type is Ragu.

Walker's so fat he has to iron his clothes on the driveway.

etc.

lol

mqywaaah · 10-15-2007, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atrewsfan

Walker's butt is so big they still can't find the last chair he sat on.

Walker's so fat, he could sell shade.

Walker's so fat, his blood type is Ragu.

Walker's so fat he has to iron his clothes on the driveway.

etc.

Yeah!!!

ballin_boi · 10-15-2007, 11:23 AM

It pisses me off that Walker has a ring and Dirk doesn't!! That was OUR year Stern!!!