Antoine Walker

The loss of James Posey could open up a starting role for Walker again, though he'll need to hold off Dorell Wright to make that happen. The interesting battle during training camp will be who emerges to be the team's No. 3 scoring option. The role of the small forward could be determined by who wins the starting job at point guard. If the more defensive minded Smush Parker gets the nod, Walker's offense might be more in demand. If the defensively challenged Jason Williams wins out, Wright's game might fit in better. In any case, if Walker emerges as the starter, he's still got the ability to score 15 points each night, but the days of a double-double average appear to be over.

Walker has spent much of his career making a name as a stats guy that couldn’t win, before joining the Heat last year and subsuming his numbers to fit into a more successful team. That may have led to a real-life NBA championship for Walker, but it’s not good news for his fantasy prospects. Walker is a tweener forward that has the size to guard most power forwards but the ball-handling ability and long shooting range to face up against small forwards on the perimeter. He has averaged more than 20 ppg six times in his 11-year career, and boasts career marks of 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.3 steals per game. Unfortunately, as the third option on the Heat behind Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, the only one of those averages that Walker even approached was three-point shooting. His 12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and .6 steals combine with his relatively poor shooting percentages (44% FG, 63% FT) to make him difficult to roster in his current role.

If you haven't heard, Walker likes to shoot a lot. And this is despite never making more than 43% from the field for a season. Moreover, he has for some reason also forgotten how to shoot free throws, ending up under 56% each of the last two years. Walker did accept his role surprisingly well when he returned to the Celtics in 2004-05, deferring to Paul Pierce, taking four fewer shots per game and shooting for a higher percentage. This year, Walker will have to defer even more with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade around to take most of the shots. Walker will also have to share the frontcourt with Udonis Haslem and James Posey, so he might average fewer minutes as well. Don’t expect the gaudy counting numbers you’ve been used to from Walker in the past, and given his ugly percentages, there’s probably more risk than reward here.

Let's tally this up - take one of the league's most notorious chuckers. Put him on a team with virtually no other options on offense. The result? Your team getting pummeled in shooting percentage. 'Toine might post a career-high in scoring this year, and he's an excellent source of assists from the power forward spot. But he might also shoot about twenty-five percent and lead the league in shots. Will it make the Hawks more entertaining? Absolutely. Do you want him on your fantasy squad? Only if you can take the hit in both FG AND FT percentage.

Walker is a triple-double threat from the forward position, and can drain the three. One of the most talented and versatile forwards in the game, Walker is a good scorer and a great frontcourt source of assists. Now, the bad news. He wears down late in the season and is prone to hoisting way too many threes. There will come a time when Boston ownership must decide if Walker deserves the type of money he will be asking for. A good player, no doubt, but a premier NBA player he is not. A great fantasy option, who may be playing for his next contract.