Celtics Envision a Key Role for Humphries

Making lemonade.

http://redsarmy.com/2013/08/03/your-morning-dump-where-the-celtics-envision-a-key-role-for-humphries/

NetsDaily.com @NetsDaily

For the record, was told on Draft Day that Boston liked Humphries more than just  as an expiring contract. Ainge a fan.
2:38 PM - 1 Aug 2013


Jared Zwerling @JaredZwerling

Source: #Knicks had interest in Kris Humphries if Boston bought him out. But unlikely at this point. Celtics envision key role for Humph.
2:19 PM - 1 Aug 2013


Between fall 2010 and spring 2012, Humphries averaged 11.9 points (50.4 percent shooting) and 10.7 rebounds per game. During that span, he played in 136 games and only started 106 of them. This guy came off the bench nearly 60 percent of the 2010-11 season, and still maintained a double-double average!

If 2011-12 was Hump’s peak, it’s not a stretch to imagine he can return to the role of “quality producer.” As previously mentioned, he’s 28 years old. His minutes drastically decreased last year, from 35 per contest the season prior to only 18.3.



And here's another article, this one from Yahoo, which is quoted in the first article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/report-boston-celtics-planning-key-role-kris-humphries-204800979.html


Report: Boston Celtics Planning 'Key Role' for Kris Humphries
Looks Like the Big Man Won't Be Traded After All

Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Sloan Piva | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 19 hours ago


COMMENTARY | By now, mostly everyone knows that the Boston Celtics acquired Kris Humphries from Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade. But few people have any idea what the team will do with him.

Many thought the Celtics would trade the power forward, who will make $12 million this season (more than any other Celtic). Once he has been in Boston for two months, he can be included in a package with other players.

So deal him, right? Team leader Rajon Rondo scuffled with him last year. Danny Ainge jabbed him a couple times during the press conference that introduced the guy. He has no future in Boston, many of us thought.

Not so fast. Thanks to Twitter, we now have a much clearer picture of Kris Humphries' fate.

At 5:38 p.m. on August 1, ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling tweeted that the New York Knicks showed interest in Humphries, on the contingency that Boston bought him out.

It's "unlikely at this point," Zwerling wrote. "Celtics envision key role for Humph."

That's a bombshell of a grammatically incorrect Twitter statement. Zwerling reveals an apparent insight that Ainge has coveted Humphries (I'm sorry, "Humph") all this time -- enough to keep him aboard despite the interest of a division rival.

Never mind the frown-faces Ainge flashed during the press conference (or is that his happy face?). Or the fact that he said Hump had no physical reason to decline at the age of 28 last season. And definitely dismiss when the president called him a flopper for letting Rondo shove him into the front row of fans during a Celtics-Nets fight last November. Hump is ostensibly in like Flynn.

Nearly 20 minutes after Zwerling's post, NetsDaily.com all but confirmed Ainge's secret man-crush on the former tabloid cover boy. It tweeted that, on the day of the draft, it was informed "Ainge was a fan" and that "Boston liked Humphries more than just an expiring contract."

Mind blown. Celtics Nation must learn to like this guy, enough to keep him around for longer than just this season?

Hey, it might not be that bad. It's not like anybody's asking you to watch E! or Bravo.

Let's look at the bright side. Hump yields a 19.2 total win share over his career. Just a little over a year ago, he wrapped up his second consecutive season with 5.3 or higher in that department (well over the totals Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger have registered as Celtics).
Between fall 2010 and spring 2012, Humphries averaged 11.9 points (50.4 percent shooting) and 10.7 rebounds per game. During that span, he played in 136 games and only started 106 of them. This guy came off the bench nearly 60 percent of the 2010-11 season, and still maintained a double-double average!

The Celtics have a total logjam at power forward, with Bass, Sully, and presumably rookie Kelly Olynyk, who plays the stretch-4. Even Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green have been known to play the position. Given his strength and rebounding ability, Hump could end up the starting center for this Boston team (shorter people have done it).

If 2011-12 was Hump's peak, it's not a stretch to imagine he can return to the role of "quality producer." As previously mentioned, he's 28 years old. His minutes drastically decreased last year, from 35 per contest the season prior to only 18.3. Brooklyn made it blatantly clear it was headed in a different direction, and obviously wanted no part of his very public divorce proceedings with Kim Kardashian (he's been booed mercilessly at various arenas since late 2011).

Now, the 6-foot-9-inch, 236-pound big man says he's "happy" and wants to focus on the next chapter of his career. He believes he and Rondo will get along just fine, regardless of their little spat in the heat of battle.

"I think we'll have a good relationship," Humphries told CSNNE and others at the July 15 presser. "I think it happened within the game. You look at it, it really was nothing. The media tends to blow things out of proportion."

He's saying all the right things (even using media scapegoating as a deflection!). Now all he has to do is prove himself in a Celtics uniform.
Ainge will be watching every step of the way.


bob
MY NOTE:  Now that my electro-shock therapy is finally starting have an effect and I'm able to think about Kris Humphries in green without triggering a conniption, I'm starting to feel a little better about it.  While his minutes have varied pretty wildly over the past 4 years, he has averaged double-digits in rebounds/36mpg every one of those years.  If rebounding has been a problem for us, that can't hurt.  Granted, our big hole is at center now, and certainly not at PF, but Hump sure as hell can rebound for his position.  He has a very good career OR:TRB ratio too, of 3.7 offensive rebounds per 11.0 total rebounds (33.6%).  Compare that to Bass' 2.4:7.6 (31.6%) and Sully's 3.7:11.7 ( 31.6%).  Remember how we all oohed and aahhed at Sully's offensive rebounding?  Hump's better.  This doesn't mean that Bass and Sully don't do other things better than Hump, nor am I forgetting that both Bass and Sully have been playing for a coach that preferred falling back on defense over offensive rebounding.  I'm just pointing out that Hump does have talent.  We love blue collar lunch pail players who are willing to do the no-glory dirty work if it helps the team.  Forget about his celebrity marriage, his playing style isn't Hollywood, CA, it's Lowell, MA.



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Bob,

I'm concerned that Stevens also favors a "fall back" offensive rebounding approach.

Sam

"Celtics Envision A Key Role For Humphries."

Yeah, as a trade object. I don't see him staying beyond his expiring contract.

I don't think he is a bad player by any means, however. It just seems highly unlikely that he is a long-term part of Boston's revamping plans. And if he is, he shouldn't be getting $12M/year.

KJ

sam wrote:Bob,

I'm concerned that Stevens also favors a "fall back" offensive rebounding approach.

Sam

Sam,

That's the one thing that gave me a sinking feeling when I read about Stevens' defensive philosophy.

Just one man's opinion...

Kris Humphries = Raef LaFrentz

NYCelt wrote:Just one man's opinion...

Kris Humphries = Raef LaFrentz

OUCH!

As far as stats go, Hump is averaging 11.0 TRB/36mpg while Raef averaged 8.5, despite being 2" taller. He was also an inferior offensive rebounder. Their scoring, /36mpg, is about the same although Raef's offense came a lot from mid-range jumpers. I'm not sure I've ever seen Hump take a jump shot.

God, I hope you're wrong. But even if you're not, we're only into Hump for a year, we had Raef for 3 years.


bob


.

Raef was injured. KH is healthy. Big difference.

There's something about KH that I just don't like but I'm not sure what it is...

KJ

The stats may not be an exact match but there are some key points that lead me to look at Kardashian (sorry, I just can't stop) and LaFrentz as being the same deal.  One part of it is that both are/were passable but average overall talents as power forwards who were/may be about to be used as centers.  Both also bring along larger contracts than they would seem to be worth and neither appear to be a good fit for the direction the team appears to be going.  Humphries (there, I used his real name) at least has a contract that disappears faster.

Beyond that I'm in the same camp as KJ.  I've watched Humphries (hey, twice in a row by his correct name) play and there's something about his game that I just don't like, yet I can't identify it specifically.  To me he's just part of the grab bag we got in order to make the money work because we badly needed to unload a few high priced players and pick up some draft picks to trade or rebuild with.  He is what he is; a step in the process of rebuilding.  Kind of like taking medicine, really.  The taste isn't going to be the greatest, but it's needed to get you better and back to where you want to be.

Since each passing day brings the roster that much closer to being set, and Humphries (three times now) that much closer to most likely starting at PF or C, I'm hopeful he does something this year to turn me into a fan.  I'm just not betting the house on it.