Kemba Walker to Boston

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He’ll probably never admit if he knew in Jan, since it would make him look pretty bad.
Why would he look bad? His never-gonna-happen pursuit of Anthony Davis, and the specter thereof, resulted in Rob Pelinka and Magic undermining their own young players, failing to get a trade done at the deadline, the Lakers collectively pissing down their leg the rest of the season, and then Pelinka parting with everything but the light fixtures in the Staples Center in order to ultimately win the trade for AD.

I'm not sure what Ainge could have gotten for Kyrie in January, but I doubt we'd be ahead of where we are today.
 

Koufax

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Could it have gotten AD ? In which case we'd have the LAL draft picks for the rest of the century, not New Orleans.
 

lexrageorge

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Could it have gotten AD ? In which case we'd have the LAL draft picks for the rest of the century, not New Orleans.
I'm not sure NO would have taken a rental, and I don't see Brooklyn or NY facilitating a 3-way trade to allow Davis to go to Boston.
 

Koufax

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You can't be sure that it would have taken a rental, but AD was blasting his way out of town and a chance to woo Kyrie is not without value. I was speculating as to a direct 1-for-1 swap not involving any third party. It's a long shot, but getting back to the point about "What if Danny knew in January that Kyrie was gone", if he knew and didn't pick up the phone to talk with NO, then that would have been bad management. I doubt that this happened, I"m just spit balling.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Kemba saying all the correct things: https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kemba-walker-ready-adjust-his-role-and-share-scoring-his-new-celtics-teammates. I.e.,

“[My role] does [need to change], and I’m looking forward to it,” Walker said on the latest Celtics Talk Podcast. "It’s something new. It’s not as big of a burden, I feel like, on my back. It’s like, I had to be perfect every night in Charlotte. Had to be. I had to have a great game, offensively, if not, it will be a struggle for us to win. Like I said, with the personnel, we have on this team and the way these guys can score, it’ll be different.”
 

Jed Zeppelin

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There was a 0.0% chance of New Orleans taking Kyrie for Davis when in reality they probably knew back then the bones of LA’s offer.
 

Van Everyman

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Because I refuse to put this in the Mr. Chemistry thread:


Edit: I understand why some people were maybe hesitant to use a max slot on another PG given Brown/Tatum/Hayward but this guy is just everything you want from the position in this lineup – scoring, unselfishness, and tremendous energy.
 

TripleOT

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How steady and non-Kyrie has Kemba been that the above post is the FIRST ONE in this thread since the regular season began (I know there's a Kemba thread from when he jammed his neck crash test dummying into Semi's body)

Nothing to complain about regarding Kemba, and he's been as advertised, at least.
 

lovegtm

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How steady and non-Kyrie has Kemba been that the above post is the FIRST ONE in this thread since the regular season began (I know there's a Kemba thread from when he jammed his neck crash test dummying into Semi's body)

Nothing to complain about regarding Kemba, and he's been as advertised, at least.
Yeah that's insane actually. It will be interesting at some point to gather up a bunch of his video from the year. The team is using him in interesting ways that are way more dynamic than the Kyrie/Horford pick-and-pop was.
View: https://youtu.be/-hSsiON6xT0?t=124


In the play at 2:04 above they quickly get the switch, but instead of Kemba backing it out and attacking the big, or trying to post Jaylen, he quickly gets it to Theis who works the hi-lo for an easy 2 against the mismatch. It's so much harder to load up on and defend those types of actions, and they all start with the attention Kemba gets, and the fact that you can't let him come off the pick for 3.
 

reggiecleveland

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Great find. That's just understanding the game, and not pounding the ball. I can't definitively say Kyrie makes that more complicated, but Kyrie makes that more complicated and looks to drive. Coaches call this low energy hoop, executed a play and moved the ball, not much energy, intensity spent.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Wow, Kemba's thread in danger of slipping off page 1. Understand that JB and JT progress is getting most of the attention, and anything that is left is going to our shiny new rookie baubles, but man KW has been great for this team. BTW, he gave XB1s with peronalized carrying cases for Xmas.
https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2019/12/23/boston-celtics-kemba-walker-working/ An
Lot of guys might say they are fine with no scoring a FG in a 21 point blowout but no one doubts KW's sincerity. and not many NBA PGs players would limit themselves to six shots if they hadn't made a bucket.

Jim Calhoun was spot on.

Hopefully he will rub off on Muddy Waters.
 

lovegtm

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Wow, Kemba's thread in danger of slipping off page 1. Understand that JB and JT progress is getting most of the attention, and anything that is left is going to our shiny new rookie baubles, but man KW has been great for this team. BTW, he gave XB1s with peronalized carrying cases for Xmas.
https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2019/12/23/boston-celtics-kemba-walker-working/ An
Lot of guys might say they are fine with no scoring a FG in a 21 point blowout but no one doubts KW's sincerity. and not many NBA PGs players would limit themselves to six shots if they hadn't made a bucket.

Jim Calhoun was spot on.

Hopefully he will rub off on Muddy Waters.
He seriously unlocks the rest of the offense with the attention he gets and his willingness to leverage that. The Lakers or Philly would be terrifying if they had gotten him—he’s exactly what they are each missing.
 

Rustjive

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He seriously unlocks the rest of the offense with the attention he gets and his willingness to leverage that
Agreed. I watched a video recently where the narrator broke down two types of plays the Celtics like to run, the double screen with 2nd screener not really setting a screen and just rolling right to the basket and the interior seal:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3INe9hPAEk


In that double screen action, he argues that Kemba is especially dangerous compared to other players - his quick release and ability to shoot 3s off the dribble forces the opposing big man to play high to defend Kemba. Without Kemba's quickness and shooting ability, that big man could instead play deeper to guard against the roll man. Video really makes you appreciate Theis too.
 

amarshal2

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This isn’t selective editing. They run those double screens and interior seal screens all day long.

What feels selective is how often Kemba dumped it into Theis. They don’t seem to do that enough IMO. They are better at it with Time Lord who is both better at finishing and passing out of it when someone collapses.
 
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Eddie Jurak

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It's impressive how little space Kemba needs to get his shot off, whether he's shooting off the dribble or working off ball and shooting off the catch.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Let me try a simple summation of this: Kemba actually is the vet leader Kyrie believes himself to be.

I wasn’t sure on Kemba’s impact beyond scoring but he’s fun to watch and very clearly the kind of personality you can win a lot with (granted, not in Charlotte)
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The remarkable thing about Walker is what wbcd points out - the guy seems to believe that the next level up is team success - not necessarily playing with his buddy, putting up stats for his next contract or looking to go to a place that is geographically desirable.

Its also remarkable that the guy has realized that, surrounded by good players, he can still get his in the flow of the offense rather than trying to "force the issue" (a term that I hear some announcers use in a good sense when I think it often means bad things like ISOs etc). Its probably no coincidence that Walker is having his best shooting season thus far now that he doesn't have to do every little thing to keep his team in games.
 

Sprowl

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Kemba gives excellent interviews to the local broadcasters. When the Celtics beat the Nets, he praised the entire Net team for playing hard on every single play, and then reflected on how credit is also due to the coaching staff for getting them to play hard and as a team. He said it all with conviction too. Kemba would never be giving the opposing team any bulletin board material.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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To me, the best thing about Kemba is I'm certain he doesn't feel like he needs to be the declared the "best player" on a team that won a championship.

He just wants to win a championship.
 

lovegtm

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Absolutely deserves it--he doesn't put up the gaudy numbers of other guards in this era, but he's the engine without which a top-3 offense completely falls apart. Great example of how to create space for others without needing the ball, and without even doing crazy JJ Reddick track meets all game.

He also does a great job setting the defensive tone and staying connected to the scheme even when he's physically overmatched, which I think spills over.
 

Jimbodandy

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Absolutely deserves it--he doesn't put up the gaudy numbers of other guards in this era, but he's the engine without which a top-3 offense completely falls apart. Great example of how to create space for others without needing the ball, and without even doing crazy JJ Reddick track meets all game.

He also does a great job setting the defensive tone and staying connected to the scheme even when he's physically overmatched, which I think spills over.
Your latter point is an underrated aspect of what Kemba brings. He'll never be a defensive stud but he makes plays there. And he stays connected, so the program doesn't fall apart. He does a better job with screens than I expected. It matters because of points at that end, but it's also contagious.
 

Lazy vs Crazy

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Missing his third game in a row with pain in his knee. He had surgery on it like 5 years back. Should we be concerned?
 

NomarsFool

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I think we are in the point of the season where the Celtics, and rightfully so, are being overly cautious.
 

128

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I think we are in the point of the season where the Celtics, and rightfully so, are being overly cautious.
I'm fine with the C's holding out Kemba as a precaution, but if he's missing real games, I'd rather he sit out the All-Star game.
 

lovegtm

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Would be nice to see Kemba get healthy/fresh over the ASB. He's looked kind of off/tired/something the last few weeks, which makes sense given the scheduling stretch they just got through.
 

NomarsFool

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I think many of the guys are hurting (Kanter for sure) but have been trying to stick it out so that >1 of them isn't out for any game. They could all use the time off.
 

ifmanis5

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Going back and fourth between writing off Kemba's 4th qtr disaster as merely weirdo All-Star Game conditions or genuine concern that this is his playoff true crunch time preview. And then I found this: http://paceandspacehoops.com/kemba-walker-is-one-of-the-worst-clutch-players-of-all-time/

Walker, since his rookie year, is 87-of-265 in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime when shooting to tie or take the lead. That’s 32.8 percent. From three, he’s 27-of-97 (27.8 percent.)
This can improve, right? Because he looked scared last night.
 

RetractableRoof

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Going back and fourth between writing off Kemba's 4th qtr disaster as merely weirdo All-Star Game conditions or genuine concern that this is his playoff true crunch time preview. And then I found this: http://paceandspacehoops.com/kemba-walker-is-one-of-the-worst-clutch-players-of-all-time/


This can improve, right? Because he looked scared last night.
What if his x number of buckets create enough of a lead that he doesn't have to shoot much in the last 5 minutes? Half full and all.

Or, if because he was one of the few/only outside shooting threat in Charlotte because of the roster, the opposition was always heavily keying on him?

Color me not worried.
 

JakeRae

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Going back and fourth between writing off Kemba's 4th qtr disaster as merely weirdo All-Star Game conditions or genuine concern that this is his playoff true crunch time preview. And then I found this: http://paceandspacehoops.com/kemba-walker-is-one-of-the-worst-clutch-players-of-all-time/


This can improve, right? Because he looked scared last night.
Tatum is our crunch time isolation scorer, so Kemba will be playing a different role than he historically has.
 

Kliq

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Going back and fourth between writing off Kemba's 4th qtr disaster as merely weirdo All-Star Game conditions or genuine concern that this is his playoff true crunch time preview. And then I found this: http://paceandspacehoops.com/kemba-walker-is-one-of-the-worst-clutch-players-of-all-time/


This can improve, right? Because he looked scared last night.
Kemba definitely has some problems scoring against larger players, but that is a problem for all small players. PGs historically have a lower field goal percentage for that reason. Some other things:

1. With the exception of a couple of Al Jefferson seasons, he has never played with any other player who was even close to a #1 scoring option.
2. Kemba was a bad outside shooter for the first few years of his career. He is a much better shooter now.
3. The Celtics will likely work the best matchup in crunch time, and if everything clicks they should be able to find a weakness against even the best teams between Kemba, JT, Hayward and Brown.
4. Kemba isn't an egomaniac and will be totally cool with someone else taking the last shot.
5. A team of Kawhi, Davis, Paul and LeBron all playing intense defense is one of the greatest defensive lineups ever assembled on a basketball court, even with Harden out there. No team is going to be able to roll that out in the playoffs.
 

lovegtm

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I'm not worried about his "crunch-time" scoring, because he has a lot of gravity that opens things up for Tatum/Hayward/Brown.

In ascending order of worry about Kemba:
1. Making quick/productive decisions when he penetrates rather than always attacking the rim against length. The team has enough secondary scorers for this to be valuable.
2. Defense Been making some vids now of the whole team's defense, and you can see the ways in which he's the weak link--it's not just big guys banging him in the post. The numbers bear this out too.
3. Health/freshness. Biggest worry by far. He's looked tired and beat up for a bit now.
 

ifmanis5

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Thanks for the pep talks.

Looked up his 4th qtr numbers this year. They are good: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkeke02/shooting/2020
.449 FG in the 4th, .569 eFG%, .435 3p%. His numbers with less than 3 minutes in the qtr aren't as good but let's hang on to the positives for now.
TBH, the ASG 4th qtr did give me pause. He was clearly out of his depth but as stated above, no one team will have a lineup like that.
 

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nighthob

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Going back and fourth between writing off Kemba's 4th qtr disaster as merely weirdo All-Star Game conditions or genuine concern that this is his playoff true crunch time preview. And then I found this: http://paceandspacehoops.com/kemba-walker-is-one-of-the-worst-clutch-players-of-all-time/


This can improve, right? Because he looked scared last night.
You can view these stats at 82 Games. Long and short of it is that he hasn’t been great and he hasn’t been bad in clutch situations this year (last five minutes of Close games and OT). But, as others have noted, Boston’s assassin in these situations is The Tatumator.