Boston Celtics Enes Kanter seeks out Tacko Fall after every practice: ’he’s one strong dude’

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/10/boston-celtics-enes-kanter-seeks-out-tacko-fall-after-every-practice-hes-one-strong-dude.html




Boston Celtics Enes Kanter seeks out Tacko Fall after every practice: ’he’s one strong dude’




Today 5:03 PM




Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter, left, looks to shoot against Tacko Fall during the NBA basketball team's training camp, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)





By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




BRIGHTON -- Enes Kanter stood with his back against the wall of the Auerbach Center, finishing up a media session. There was a speck of pink on his shirt.

“Is that blood?”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, I was going against Tacko”


Tacko Fall is on an exhibit 10 contract, which means there’s no guarantee he’s a member of the Boston Celtics in a few weeks. But even though the front office hasn’t made its official decision on him yet, there aren’t many players who have been more, ahem, front and center as he has recently.

Now he’s trying to prove himself to his coaches with his play. There’s one roster spot left, and he’s one of a few guys who want it.

“I feel like I've gotten a lot better, especially understanding the game and the way you play in the NBA,” Fall said at media day this week. “The coaches really have done a great job helping me with that and I really made a good choice of staying here all summer. Just being around some of the guys, watching them has been helpful.”

Kanter is one of the guys he’s been around more than others. The big men always break off from the group and work together for portions of practice, but Kanter is specifically seeking Fall out for extra work.

“After practice, I say, ‘hey, Tacko, let’s go. Let’s play 1-on-1,’” Kanter said. “There’s not much guy like that in the league, he’s 7-7, 300 pounds. If you can go against him, you can go against anybody. I’m making him better, he’s making me better at the same time. It’s special having to have him on your side.”

Fall has a knack for become fast friends with people. He and Grant Williams quickly developed a BFF bond over the summer. Now he and Kanter have found a bond both in their on and off court work.


“Enes is the type of person I always want to be around, because he has such a positive aura around him and is such a great person with the biggest heart,” Fall said. “He's played in the NBA for so many years, for me, as a rookie, I'm just trying to be around him and soak in as much as possible. Trying to learn how to last in the NBA, especially being involved in the community, he has done a lot of that and that is something that I want to do as well.”

If there’s anything Fall will get from Kanter, it’s a heavy dose of encouragement. The name “Kanter” might just be the Turkish word for “hyperbole” when you consider how flowery his praise can be for people.

“He's been playing unbelievable,” Kanter said as he began to venture down a another one of these roads. “You know, not a lot of people know that, but he's got the turnaround jump shot. I call him the -- yesterday I called him the Senegalese Dirk. He's got that one-legged step back fadeaway shot. He can actually make that. It's a pretty shot.”

Maybe the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons can wait for a while, but it doesn’t mean the praise will slow down. A guy like Fall who, frankly, isn’t sure what his future holds can probably use a bit of effusive praise from time to time.

He’ll get plenty of chances to hear it from Kanter, because Kanter plans to keep hacking away at his new seven-and-a-half-foot tall friend and post partner, even if it means spilling a little blood from time to time.

“Going against Tacko, he’s one strong dude.”



bob



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I really hope the Celtics can find a roster spot for Tacko.

someone that's 7-6 or 7-7 and works hard, I want on the team. Even is he spends most of the year working on his game in Maine.

bob


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