Celtics fans this year have been far more than disappointed this year, as their team sits in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. After Kemba Walker came back from his injury, the entire NBA world was under the assumption that we would be seeing one of the best Celtic teams in over 5 years. But, we were proved wrong. Boston just hasn’t been able to click with each other, and every game seems like a nail biting or a blowout. There’s no specific person to blame this for, unless you want to blame Mr. Danny Ainge. This team consists of two all stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but where’s that missing piece that they traded for a year ago?
He is…… nowhere to be found. Sure, he’s been back for over 3 months now, but hasn’t made a tremendous amount of impact. Averaging just under what he did during his second year in the league, Kemba Walker has had a subpar year in almost every category. He’s been super inconsistent, and really nothing of what we expected. When Kyrie Irving signed with Brooklyn, the Celtics knew they needed another weapon to handle the ball. They got Walker, swept the 76ers in the first round, beat the Raptors in the second, and were a series away from an appearance in the NBA Finals. I can guarantee you that 95% of fans see 0 chance of that happening this year. And part of that is because Kemba simply hasn’t been what he used to be. He can’t find his mid range, and shoots 34% from beyond the arc. At first, I would say that it’s appropriate to give him some time after coming back from his knee injury, but it’s been two long. It’s clear that he doesn’t fit in with the Celtics system, but they’ll at least have to play him out for the rest of the year.
Let’s look back at who the Celtics traded for, Hornets Kemba Walker. There is no perfect way to describe Hornets Kemba Walker. Clutch, shifty, quick, accurate, all fit the criteria. He was the type of player that would make a shot most of the time unless he was double teamed. A truly special athlete with so many skills. He just wasn’t part of a winning organization. Charlotte made the playoffs a couple of times, but couldn’t get through a series. But, they had a very special player in their hands. 2018 was Kemba’s best year in Buzz City, averaging just under 26 points, shot 43% from the field, and made the All-NBA team. He was THE MAN in Charlotte, and it turns out he’s really the third option in Boston. He still gets opportunities to get his shots up in game, but he’s just not as efficient with this team. Plays have been designed more for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, due to Kemba’s inconsistency. It’s an interesting situation for the Celtics, but how much will Kemba be able to turn it around?
To answer the question if we will ever see Cardiac Kemba again, it’s really up in the air, but I think that we will. Just not with Boston. He doesn’t become an unrestricted free agent until 24, but I think he’ll be traded by then. I could see him joining a team like Miami, Dallas, or maybe even the L.A. Clippers. With a new fresh start, Kemba would be given the time he needs to get back to his old form, and put up numbers that he used to. We might not see exactly what we saw in Charlotte, but I think it definitely could be similar. It’s not as severe of an injury as Blake Griffin, and Kemba still has time to grow and improve. If he needs an extended amount of time off, teams like the Clippers and Heat would be able to get wins without him, and when he comes back, they would be ready to take it to the next level. It all comes down to patience, but how much does Boston have left?
Top Photo: Getty Images- Maddie Meyer