Kemba Walker's declaration of being "ready to go" is big news for the Boston Celtics and their chances of making a title run.
Fans of the Boston Celtics received great news this week when Kemba Walker declared himself as “ready to go” when NBA play resumes on July 30th.
After playing in the All-Star game, Walker missed five games with swelling in his knee. Upon his return, he did not look like himself as he struggled and shot only 30.5 percent from the field before the league was shut down.
Walker admitted during his media availability this week he had been unhappy with his play during those games after the All-Star break. He also said he needed the break the league was forced into due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although unfortunate, the time to rest his aching knee was truly beneficial. Walker now feels like he just needs to get into game shape, but he is no longer worried about the lingering pain he had been feeling before the season interruption.
Having a healthy Walker is vitally important for the Celtics. He is not only their starting point guard, but he is their main playmaker and one of the few players on the roster who is adept at creating easier shots for his teammates. Although Jayson Tatum began coming into his own as a superstar scorer during Walker’s absence, he began to struggle when defenses were collapsing on him and he wasn’t great at creating easier shots for the other players on the floor with him. Walker brings this ability and he has gives the team another option in late-game situations. He provides the ability to make everyone around him a better offensive player. Tatum is still growing into this ability.
Walker also provides shooting the team lacks throughout the entire roster. His plus range from beyond the three-point line is an area in which the Celtics have struggled with consistency during the season. If he can help stretch the floor while also showing the quickness to get to the rim, he gives the Celtics offense an added dimension. Outside of a Walker and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have struggled to consistently finish at the rim and draw fouls. Tatum’s mid-range game can be deadly, but playoff basketball is built around getting in the paint and creating open shots or free throw opportunities.
Despite the ability to have multiple 20 point scorers in any given game, the Celtics are a team with a very thin bench. Having a healthy and functional Kemba Walker will help this weakness out immensely. The team can move Marcus Smart back to the bench and they can also stagger a player such as Jaylen Brown, Walker, Tatum, or Gordon Hayward with the second unit so they have more scoring to help with that group. They can play with lineups so there is not a dearth of scoring and playmaking ability at any point during a game. Smart and Brown can also focus more energy on their outstanding defensive capabilities while letting the offense come to them rather than forcing plays because they feel like they have to.
Among the many other things Kemba Walker’s return could mean for the Celtics, he also brings leadership for their lineup. Walker has been in the league for a long time now and he has the respect of opponents and more importantly the referees that his teammates still do not consistently have. Although Brown and Tatum have shown themselves to be on an ascension this season, they still do not always get the benefit of the doubt on referee calls. Walker will have this and it will be a big benefit late in games.
If Kemba Walker is truly back to being close to 100 percent it would be a huge boost for the Boston Celtics. With Walker, they boast about four to five players who could go off for over 20 points in any given game. All of the players can be selfless at times and they understand feeding the hot hand. Without Walker, the team appears more tentative and could find themselves out of the playoffs after just one round. Let’s just hope his knee can hold up for the entire playoff run.
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