INCOMING Alaska import Bill Walker may be coming in with decent stats from his last two seasons with the New York Knicks, but coach Luigi Trillo said he’d rather see the former Kansas State product first before finding a way to fit him into his veteran-laden roster.
The 26-year-old Walker, the 47th pick overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft, played for the Boston Celtics and the Knicks during his four seasons in the world’s best basketball league.
He averaged career-highs of 11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, while shooting 51.8 percent from the field in more than 27 minutes of action in 27 games during the 2009-10 season.
Walker will be arriving on Saturday morning.
“He’s a veteran with a lot of experience who stayed in the NBA D-League, but his stats are decent,” Trillo told Spin.ph. “It’s not that he’s (Walker) a question mark but we just got to find a way how he can fit into to the team.”
The reigning Coach of the Year said Walker can stretch the defense while giving the Aces a solid scoring option outside local stars Cyrus Baguio, Sonny Thoss, JV Casio, and veteran gunner Dondon Hontiveros.
Walker’s basketball history though includes an ACL tear on both knees, one in 2003 on his right knee, before suffering the same injury on his left knee during Kansas State’s 65-69 loss to Texas A&M University in 2007.
“Before the ACLs, he can jump out of the gym, but we’ll see,” said Trillo, whose team eyes to redeem itself in the Governors Cup after failing to defend its Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Nonetheless, the Alaska coach expects Walker to be a two-way player.
“He can block shots and steal. Probably not the energy guy like that of Marqus Blakely (San Mig’s comebacking import), but he can also post up and can hit the threes,” he added.
The Aces begin their Governors Cup preparation on Tuesday at the Gatorade Hoops Center.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
