Atlanta
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Antoine Walker has always been a versatile blend of athleticism and talent and as the first banana on the Hawks he is making it very obvious. He leads the team in points, assists, defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, and minutes, and is second or third in blocks and steals. The self-described volume scorer is only shooting 43 percent from the floor and 55 percent from the free throw line but he is Atlanta's best player by far.
Tonight he and the Hawks visit Detroit, possibly the league's deepest team in the frontcourt, where Walker will get a chance to go against a variety of other versatile forwards. Walker will soon be a free agent and every game is essentially a chance for him not only to help his team win and make himself look attractive to whoever's watching, but also an opportunity to evaluate what it would be like playing on the opponent's team.
Walker in Detroit? He could provide exactly the same sort of spark that Rasheed Wallace had given them last year by being able to run the deep pick-and-pop with a guard yet still manage to bang the boards or post-up or pass the ball around the interior. Any team would be lucky to have him: he's an ironman who plays monster minutes without missing games and he brings every positive statistical measure to the table.
NEXT GAME
The Hawks (3-15, fifth in the Southeast) visit the world champion Pistons (10-8, tied for second in the Central) TONIGHT. The game starts at 8:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on FSO and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
The All-Star nominations are out, and Hawks players Antoine Walker, Al Harrington and Peja Drobnjak are on the ballots. Want to see them in the 2004-05 All-Star contest? Don't forget tocast your votefor your favorite players now.
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INJURY UPDATE
Chris Crawford(torn ACL) is out for the season and on the injured list.Royal Ivey(strained right knee) andDonta Smith(back) are also on the injured list.
Tom Withers of The Associated Press writes inThe Cincinnati Post: If the Cavaliers are sold, it would be the latest in a series of NBA ownership changes this year. The Atlanta Hawks ($250 million), New Jersey Nets ($300 million) and Phoenix Suns ($401 million) have all been sold since January.
Mike Hughes ofThe Lansing State Journalwrites: Basketball, 8 p.m., Channel 18. The Pistons host the Atlanta Hawks.With the champion Pistons switching Detroit stations this season, local Channel 18 is newly important. On the flip side, viewers must scramble to find UPN shows; tonight's reruns of "Enterprise" and "America's Top Model" are on Detroit's Channel 50.
Helene St. James ofThe Detroit Free Presswrites: After getting in only one of the first eight games, playing two minutes, Milicic has played legitimate minutes at key moments the last handful of games. He's likely to do the same tonight when the Pistons play Atlanta at the Palace, because Rasheed Wallace is nursing a sore right hamstring and Antonio McDyess has a strained left calf. Wallace didn't practice Thursday and is probable for the Hawks game; McDyess didn't practice either and will have to sway coach Larry Brown in order to play tonight. That could mean another opportunity for Milicic to show he belongs in NBA games.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionwrites: Always a top rebounder, McEachern's Phebe Smith is beginning to give McEachern the inside scoring it must rely on this season. She's the sister of Atlanta Hawks rookie Josh Smith.Campbell, off to the early lead in 5-AAAAA, needs 5-10 junior Raechelle Byrd to hold her own inside.