One semi-incidental note: Both played very similar roles on their respective championship team. Toine was a role player, maybe the 4th or 5th best player on the team...same as Rondo.
Definitely a role player, but Antoine was actually the second-leading scorer for the Heat in the Finals that season.
Woah somehow I didn't realize that. Toine averaged 37.5 minutes during that playoffs that year. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a steal. Toine was arguably more important to the 2005 champs than Rondo was to the 2008 Champs. Fascinating.
As for 2008, the fourth player was really James Posey.
If 'Toine was 23 years of age, in the KG era, as 4th/5th man, he'd be able to give rest to both the 3 & 4 spots. Think about how huge that would be? It's obvious that given enough rest, PP and KG could carry a team on their backs.
What was the main problem during the KG era? ... the so-called 2nd squad was rudderless. How many games did Doc rest the big three, only to lose 15+ point leads? With 'Toine on board, there would have been no such problems. He was as much a leader as KG, but with a bit more flair and playfulness. He didn't act like Atlas with a globe on his shoulders. He enjoyed his job.
I'm sorry, but for me, a sulking point guard, looking for an assist, or some *dream shake* layup, is only as valuable as his general level of athleticism, almost like a "pass first" Ricky Davis, but w/o a jumpshot. An overall team player and one who can engage his teammates, outside of forcing them to run around screens all day, is a better player to have on a team with 3 HoFers. Walker was that man. It's just too bad that his time on the Cs was under Pitino & O'Brien, where the solid aspects of his game were overshadowed by a certain amount of daily sloppy habits.