Football
Associated Press 17y

Walker, Posey deactivated over conditioning issue

MIAMI -- Heat forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey were
deactivated for the team's game Wednesday night against the Los
Angeles Clippers because they didn't meet team body-fat mandates.

Heat coach Pat Riley, who also announced Wednesday that he was
taking a medical leave of absence, said Walker and Posey may be
back after one or two games. However, they could face suspension by
Jan. 15 if the goals are not met.

"There's been an ongoing conditioning goal that our team has
had to make since the summer. ... January was the deadline, they
haven't made it, and they knew this was going to happen if they
didn't make it," Riley said. "By the way, both of them are in the
best condition of their lives. They're very close. But a deadline
is a deadline."

Neither player will travel with the Heat to Phoenix on Thursday,
instead staying behind to work with team strength and conditioning
coach Bill Foran. Miami opens a six-game Western road trip against
the Suns on Friday, and it's possible both could join the team
sometime during the swing.

Both players said Wednesday they are 1 percent over the limits
Riley has set for them. Posey said his body fat is 9 percent,
Walker said his is 10 percent.

"He wants the weight to be down and he has his standards, I
guess, for the bigs and the perimeters or whatever," Posey said
before the game. "It's the weight and for the perimeters (it's) 8
percent body fat. ... I'm at 9 percent body fat. And, that's not
eight."

Added Walker, speaking after the Heat's 110-95 loss: "We're not
talking about something that's major. We're talking about 1
percent. It's not a farfetched goal. It's something I can get to
fairly quickly and hopefully rejoin the team in a couple days."

With center Shaquille O'Neal (knee surgery), forward Wayne
Simien (recovering from salmonella poisoning) and guard Dwyane Wade
(sprained wrist) all out for Wednesday's game, the absence of
Walker and Posey meant the Heat dressed only 10 players against the
Clippers.

"It's an organizational thing, something that's been coming,"
Heat interim coach Ron Rothstein said. "The players knew."

Posey is averaging 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds this season,
while Walker is averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds on 40 percent
shooting.

"I've been doing the things I need to be doing, and that's to
maintain my weight right now," Posey said. "So all I can could do
is keep working and that's what I've been doing to this point."

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