As go Kemba Walker’s fortunes, so go the Celtics
Guard has found his form and C’s are winning again
Back on Jan. 30, Kemba Walker went for 1-for-12 and missed a potential game-winning jumper in the final seconds of a 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden.
That was Walker’s sixth game back for the Celtics after missing the first threeplus weeks of the 2020-21 season, while recovering from a left knee injury. He clearly was rusty and wasn’t close to resembling his old sharp self, the player that has been a four-time NBA All-Star.
Still, he certainly didn’t seem to be getting the benefit of the doubt from Celtics fans and radio talking heads, who were seemingly crushing the 30-year-old guard at every turn.
Patience has never been a strength when it comes to folks who follow Boston sports.
In his first 10 games back from injury, Walker averaged just 15 points on 34.2% shooting from the floor and 30.6% from 3-point land. The Celtics went 3-7 over that stretch and slipped considerably in the top-heavy Eastern Conference standings.
Then, things changed.
The always-smiling 6-foot guard rediscovered his comfort and found his groove. As Walker played better, so did the Celtics.
Over his last 10 games, Walker is averaging 21.9 points on 43% from the floor and 41.6% from deep, and he’s dished out 4.8 assists per game and been an average of +5.3 while on the court. Those numbers are right on par with his past five seasons.
Most importantly, the C’s are 7-3 over Walker’s last 10 appearances and enter the
All-Star break on a four-game win streak and back in the No. 4 spot in the East’s playoff picture with a record of 19-17.
For now, the Walker critics have been strongly silenced.
All of a sudden, his stats for the season are looking pretty solid at 18.5 ppg and 4.6 apg in 30 minutes per game. He’s now the third option for a Celts’ squad with two young supremely talented all-star wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and his production is plenty good enough for a No. 3 option.
We’ve all been reminded just how valuable Walker is to the Celtics. They need him,
and they need him to play well.
In order to make sure he remains healthy and suffers no setbacks with his knee, Walker has been sitting out the second night of back-to-back games since his return.
To that point, the C’s have lost each of the last four games that Walker was inactive for, and those came against bad teams like the Hawks, Pistons and Kings.
While it’s true the undersized Walker often gets targeted defensively by opponents, that’s not always a smart strategy. He’s third in the NBA in charges drawn per game at 0.50, and has drawn a total of 10 in his 20 games. He’s gotten excellent at one of the
toughest skills to master in basketball.
Then, there’s the energy he brings to the court every night, with that infectious smile and positivity. For a team whose best players are 23 and 24, Walker’s veteran presence and calm demeanor are essential for balance.
The Celtics will go into the second half of the season far from a perfect product.
Even with Walker, they may not be able to go toeto-toe with the likes of the 76ers, Nets and Bucks in a playoff series.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge should absolutely be looking to bolster his squad before the trade deadline comes and goes later this month.
But no matter what, the Celtics will need Kemba Walker to be Kemba Walker.