Kemba Walker ready to adjust his role and share the scoring with his new Celtics teammates

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kemba-walker-ready-adjust-his-role-and-share-scoring-his-new-celtics-teammates



Kemba Walker ready to adjust his role and share the scoring with his new Celtics teammates




By Chris Forsberg

July 20, 2019 9:12 AM




Celtics point guard Kemba Walker admits that, in order for his new team to maximize its potential, he needs to alter his offensive approach. Fresh off inking his max contract, the eight-year veteran said he’s on board with deferring to the new talent that now surrounds him.

“[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.”


The Celtics landed Walker on a four-year, $141 million deal. With the Hornets, Walker was forced to shoulder much of the scoring burden and sometimes even big outputs weren’t enough to will Charlotte to wins (Walker had seven games of 40-plus points last season and Charlotte lost six of them, the only win coming against Boston).

Walker ranked ninth in the NBA in usage rate last season at 30.8 percent. That was one spot ahead of ball-dominant Russell Westbrook and two spots ahead of Kawhi Leonard. Which is to say that Walker is used to finishing possessions but seems on board with giving it up more. Kyrie Irving ranked 17th in the NBA in usage at 28.6 last year.

Walker cited young players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as reasons he wanted to come to Boston and he’s eager to use his talents to get them scoring opportunities. A healthier Gordon Hayward is going to demand more possessions as well and the team can lean on his ball-handling skills, especially when Walker isn’t on the court.

Walker said he’s excited about the potential.

"I think there will be a lot of space. I’m a willing passer as well. I’m very unselfish,” said Walker. "I love to score, don’t get it twisted. Whenever I have an opportunity to score, I’m going to score. But, when I draw defenders and see open guys, I’m going to get rid of that thing. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to kinda changing my game as well, just giving the ball up a lot more.”

Coming off a season in which Irving’s missteps as a leader contributed to friction with younger players, Walker’s arrival begs the question of whether he can maximize their talents. While he’s expressed a desire to help those players grow — while also suggesting that he yearns to learn from them and their playoff experiences -- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge remains staunch that Walker simply needs to be the best version of himself.

"I don't really look for other people to draw out anything from anybody,” said Ainge. "I expect him to be at his best, that's all. Work hard and be who he is. He doesn't have to try to draw anything out from any of the other guys...It's not anybody's responsibility to draw the best out in every other player.”

Added Ainge: "I see Kemba as a good fit with anybody. He's a really good player. He's smart and is experienced and wants to win. He's accomplished a lot of things individually and he just really hasn't been able to accomplish the team goals since winning the national championship in college. But I think that's what he is hoping for. He's at the stage of his life where that's all that matters.”

Walker landed on the All-NBA third team this past season. He averaged a career-best 25.6 points per game but has shot just 41.8 percent from the floor from his career and 35.7 percent beyond the arc. The Celtics are hoping that with more skill around him, Walker can ratchet up his overall efficiency. He averaged 5.9 assists per game last season and that number could spike if Tatum, Brown, and Hayward elevate their offensive output this season.

It is, of course, easier to say you want to morph your game in July than it is to actually do it on the court in October. But Walker has repeatedly stressed a desire to win after limited playoff exposure in Charlotte. Given some of the losses on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the frontcourt, it’s imperative that the Celtics play with high efficiency on the offensive end. Walker’s ability to maximize opportunities for himself and his teammates could be key in Boston’s success in the 2019-20 season.



bob
MY NOTE:  His scoring teammates last year included Jeremy Lamb and Malik Monk.  Nick Batum is a good player, but averaged < 10ppg.  After Kemba's 25.6ppg their next highest scorers were Lamb @ 15.3ppg, and then Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller @ about 10ppg.  Monk averaged about 9ppg in 18mpg.  Not a lot of points but he is a gunner.  

Compare this to last year's Celtics.  Kyrie at 23.8ppg (less than Kemba), Tatum at 15.7ppg (about the same as Lamb), but then Brown, Horford and Morris all in the 13+ppg range.  Hayward at 11.5ppg was our 6th highest scorer and was still more than the Hornets' 3rd highest scorers.

We replaced a 23.8ppg (33mpg, 18.5fgas/game, 3.7ftas/game) scorer with a 25.6ppg (35mpg, 20.5fgas/game, 5.5ftas/game) scorer.  Pretty much a wash and, with all due respect to the Hornets team and coaching staff, I think Brad and his staff working with the superior talent we have will produce better results than Kemba was getting in Charlotte.  Maybe not more points, but more effective and efficient.  As Kemba said, he had to score in Charlotte or they had no chance of winning.  He doesn't have to do that here.  It was the same with Ray Allen when he was in Milwaukee and then Seattle.  If he didn't score they had zero chance, but life got easier when he came here (even if he did chafe a bit at his reduced role).

The loss of Horford is greater.  We will miss his high post passing, unless Williams really steps up.  We will miss his defensive floor generalship.  Kyrie has been replaced and, in my opinion, we might have even gotten an upgrade when you take into account all the non-stat issues.  Horford...?


.

Hi,
Kemba is a proven scorer. I'm pretty sure that his PPG will decrease due to presence of JT, JB and GH (hopefully even more improved).
I don't think that we can have/get a player who can substitute Horford. But what I hope for is the improvement in the team's chemistry department. If it happens it will compensate for AH and then some.

AK

The word is that Grant Williams has a similar skill set to what Horford has. Grant doesn't have the same height, but his wingspan sort of makes up for it.

I'm not saying GW = AH, not in any way. Similar is not equal to equal. I'm just saying that GW could be AH lite.

Time will tell.

gyso

Different players, but he will be able to spread floor and be a little bull close to the basket. I see him getting to the line and has a lot of SF skills too. GW will be our version of Draymond Green, would love to see him earn starting PF.

AH is a player on the decline, look at his production for a max player, really 13-7 for 31 million a year and he needs a lot of games off...??? He got worn out after a good first game vs Bucks, playing next to Embid will be good for him, as a 5 he doesn’t cut it anymore, he’ll be 34 this year. We had to make the change sooner or later....now is as good a time as any. Good luck with that contract Philly, gonna be games where both starting 4-5 will be out....

It is my belief that neither of the two Williams guys will adequately replace Horford this season as both are very inexperienced while at the same time Horford is still a quality NBA player who may just not be quite as good as he was. However, both Grant and Robert will more than replace Horford over the last three years of Horford's contract and at a far less expensive financial cost.

I always thought that Horford was overpaid in his time in Boston. Now I predict that he will be a very, very expensive role player in Philly for at least the last three years of his current contract, but since it is not my money I have to say "who cares"?

Horford played well in Boston and seemed to be a good teammate who never hurt his teammates or the coaches. No one can blame him for signing anywhere for the amount of money that his new contract will bring him even if i do say that I hope that he really does not help Philly.