Bill Walker's Grabbing More Headlines Than J.R. Giddens

(Catastrophy)


By: Greg Payne

I suppose this is still a reasonable argument, since the scale hasn't been tipped either way, even to the slightest degree. Some of us love Bill Walker and some of us adore J.R. Giddens. Resembling a classic political race, each side has its fair share of supporters who will proudly proclaim their man as the favorite.

Only, instead of vying for a high end job on Capitol Hill, these two players are more likely fighting to be the 11th or 12th man on a championship-caliber professional basketball team. That's how good these Celtics have gotten. But, hey, for either one of these guys, it's a job. And even the professional athletes who rest somewhat uncomfortably on that teetering slope -- Will they be bought out? Released? Traded and shipped out of town? Become expendable? -- need to find work in a difficult economy.

But, much like the state of Rajon Rondo's offseason workout plan, the seemingly endless Marquis Daniels affair or why Leon Powe chose to accept the Cavaliers' offer as opposed to the Celtics', we have next to no idea who the front runner is in this campaign. Walker or Giddens?

If this contest came down strictly to whose name was heard more often in a positive light, Walker would be running away with this race. His name has graced a vast number of Celtics press releases and newspaper articles, telling the various tales of his uplifting and refreshing charity work. Whether it's working directly with children, speaking with them about the positives of sports and hard work, or accompanying them on trips to places like Washington D.C., Walker has essentially done it all this offseason.

But, unfortunately, the NBA Championship isn't determined by which team has the most community service hours at season's end (They should do something about this. Why not award the team with the most hours some type of bonus? Maybe a mid to late second round draft pick? Or, if it's a team facing the luxury tax they receive a little cash back?). While Walker's efforts are sincere, appreciated and inspiring and other NBA players should want to duplicate his actions, it doesn't necessarily guarantee him a spot on this year's squad.

But Walker understands the NBA is a business. And despite the commitment he’s made to the community, he’s aware that he might not be in Green next year.

But the fact that Walker's working so hard-- and I believe it's safe to assume he's working as hard on the court as he is off the court-- can only help his chances. And as his name continues to pop up in these various news reports, it only allows us to become more familiar with him. And we Boston people appreciate guys like Walker. I personally like to proclaim guys with the following types of attitudes as keepers:

“If you want something, you’re going to have to go through hell to get it,” Walker said. “It’s going to be tough. Stuff happens and you have to adapt, and that’s what I plan on doing. No matter what’s thrown at me, I’m going to make the best out of the situation and surprise a lot of people.”

If he stays in Boston, I don't think much of his improvement will come as a surprise. At this point, we can expect the rigorous work ethic it takes to make it in the NBA from Bill Walker.

Stay Tuned.