Can Humphries Bleed Green?

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/9485228/boston-celtics-hope-kris-humphries-career-resurgence


Can Kris Humphries bleed green?
Yes, the veteran's arrival is baffling, but maybe Boston is where he'll flourish
Updated: July 17, 2013, 3:40 PM ET
By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com



A friend, who would best be described as a casual sports fan, was incredulous.

Kris Humphries?!

Explaining to those unfamiliar with the NBA rebuilding process why the Boston Celtics would trade a pair of franchise icons like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn for a collection of lesser names and a few future first-round draft picks isn't easy. But before I could even attempt to shed light on Boston's mindset, the friend ranted again.

Why would they even want him? He must come cheap or something.

Actually, I noted, he's currently projected to be the highest-paid player on the team next season at $12 million. The friend, now equal parts perplexed and infuriated, just sat there with mouth agape.

Kris Humphries spoke with honesty about trying to help the C's to the playoffs: "I'm in a contract year, and a lot of people on the team probably are, and there's nothing better for your own career than to have success as a team."

And that's how it goes for Humphries, particularly with those that know him better from E! than ESPN. Even the more invested hoops fans have wondered if he should even bother finding a place in Boston, convinced the Celtics would certainly move him before he even put on the No. 43 jersey that he held up at Monday's introductory news conference at the team's training center in Waltham.

It's fair to say that Humphries is in a bit of an awkward situation upon arrival in Boston -- and we haven't even talked about that little on-court dustup with new teammate Rajon Rondo (for his part, Humphries downplayed the incident and said he'll attempt to "earn [Rondo's] respect").

The difficult part for Celtics fans boils down to this: Is Humphries part of Boston's future? With a growing logjam of young talent at the power forward position, do the Celtics see a role for a 28-year-old coming off the most disappointing season of his nine-year NBA career? Will his presence potentially stunt their development?

What's prudent to remember is that this deal with the Nets was all about future assets. Three unprotected first-round picks have obvious value, even if they will take time to collect on. A $10.3 million trade exception has potentially huge value, even if Boston probably can't take advantage of it until next offseason.

Humphries? It's actually in Boston's best interest for him to revitalize his career here. With a $12 million expiring contract, he'll have a healthy trade market regardless of his play. If he can get back to the guy who averaged a double-double for two consecutive seasons with the Nets, then contenders might be willing to sacrifice a bit of their own future for a late-season rental, which could net even more assets for Boston.

Worst-case scenario: If Humphries simply toils away on the bench in Boston, then shedding $12 million from the books next summer isn't the worst thing for the Celtics either.

What's easy to forget, given that he's made more headlines in gossip rags than NBA mags, is that Humphries has talent. The 6-foot-9 power forward averaged 13.8 points and 11 rebounds during the 2011-12 season, and two years in a row landed in the top 10 in the league in both total rebounds and total rebound percentage.

It was on the strength of a double-double season in 2010-11 that Humphries cashed in with a two-year, $24 million deal from the Nets. After stops in Utah and Toronto early in his career, Humphries was pegged as a key ingredient as the Nets loaded up for a run last season.

Instead, amid his struggles, Humphries fell out of favor in Brooklyn and was relegated to the bench in favor of veteran rebound machine Reggie Evans. Unable to move Humphries at the February deadline, the Nets glued him to the pine in March. Even in the playoffs, he averaged a mere 11.9 minutes and a trade seemed inevitable this summer.

The Celtics can trade Humphries immediately in the aftermath of the Nets swap if he's moved on his own, but they might benefit by allowing him the opportunity to re-establish his value on the floor.

Humphries is limited offensively, but he's always posted solid transition numbers and could thrive in an up-tempo situation alongside Rondo. He can hold his own defensively, even if he struggles at times in the post, but he makes his money as a rebounder. During the 2010-11 season, he ranked third in the NBA in total rebound percentage (22.1) and was seventh a year later (18.3).

Maybe it's just spin, but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge says he believes Humphries can flourish again in the right situation.

"I know that Humphries hasn't dropped as a player," said Ainge. "When you're 28 years old and you're as fit as he is ... you don't become a worse player. We don't really look at [last year's drop-off in] numbers that way."

While Humphries spent much of last season riding the Nets bench, he's known as a solid rebounder and could thrive in an up-tempo situation alongside Rajon Rondo.

Humphries displayed an easygoing personality at Monday's introductions, playfully joking at times, including when last season's wrestling match with Rondo was referenced. Ainge busted his chops about being pushed around too easily by a diminutive point guard and Humphries playfully fired back by recounting the story of how Ainge rocketed a ball off the face of Houston's Mario Elie during the 1994 playoffs. Quipped Humphries, "[Ainge and Elie] are friends now, so it's all good [with him and Rondo]."

Forced to go last each time the group of three new players was asked a question, Humphries playfully dismissed a query on rebuilding by noting: "Yeah, basically all those cliché comments. I'll save you some time."

Humphries understands the business side of basketball and said he approaches his job the way he did in high school and college, pledging to work as hard he can, try to win games and be a great teammate. Even entering his 10th season, he said he still feels young. And he's brutally honest about his situation, noting that he will understand if the Celtics ultimately move him in a deal that helps the franchise, but prefers to aid the transition process knowing that it might benefit him most in the long term.

"We just want to come out and compete and put ourselves in a position to have a chance to make the playoffs," said Humphries. "I know that, me personally, that's how I think. That's what basketball is all about. You can't come in and think it's rebuilding or whatever. I'm in a contract year, and a lot of people on the team probably are, and there's nothing better for your own career than to have success as a team. That's what we're all focused on."

The question is whether Celtics fans can get past his (rather harmless) off-court baggage and invest in him as a player.



bob
MY NOTE:  If he becomes a double-double machine again, he has value.  He'll have value because he'll be the muscular enforcer role player we love and because, as Forsberg points out, other teams will want him then.  Regardless, he's in green now and I'm going to root for him to do well and contribute until he's no longer in green.

.

I like him more already. Now if he can just come and play good ball every night and get along with his teammates only if he is still a Celtic, of course.

That's a funny video.  He definitely has a sense of humor, especially about himself.  He was pretty funny at the intro press conference too.

I'm going to make a prediction here:

The first time Hump sets a pick that lays out Rondo's man and makes him check to see if any teeth are loose, he's going to become our newest, favorite Celtic.


bob


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That is funny. Any guy who can poke fun at himself can't be all bad.

But gyso, where's the spoiler alert about the Lion King?

It might be hard for a guy to "bleed green" when he's already on the trading block 3 1/2 months before the season starts.

KJ

It seemed pretty obvious to me that he was quite uncomfortable on Monday. He no longer wanted to be there than Pierce wanted to be in Brooklyn. The only difference is, Paul Pierce had a reason to be uncomfortable. If Humphries lasts here until February I will be very surprised. He is good trade bait, and we all know how Danny feels about guys like that. I believe he won't be bleeding green for long, if ever.

How soon after a trade like this can these guys be dealt? I thought there was a restriction, which means Wallace is here for a while too.

Rosalie

RosalieTCeltics wrote:It seemed pretty obvious to me that he was quite uncomfortable on Monday. He no longer wanted to be there than Pierce wanted to be in Brooklyn.  The only difference is, Paul Pierce had a reason to be uncomfortable.  If Humphries lasts here until February I will be very surprised.  He is good trade bait, and we all know how Danny feels about guys like that.  I believe he won't be bleeding green for long, if ever.

How soon after a trade like this can these guys be dealt? I thought there was a restriction, which means Wallace is here for a while too.

Rosalie

Rosalie,

Gyso is, of course, the last word on this, but I believe there is a 2 month moratorium on trading a player you just traded for. HOWEVER, you cannot trade them as part of a package for at least a year. In other words, Danny can trade Hump and he can trade Wallace, but he can't trade them together as part of the same deal (not that he wouldn't try to come up with an angle to do exactly that, witness his contortions on the Doc/KG/PP trade to the Clips). I'm not sure, but I don't even think he can package them for a year with some other player who was not traded for, like say Bass.


bob

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Now Gysoo, priorities! You must keep your wife happy!!! Forum fans can wait for you to finish the important things in life!!!!!

Rosalie