Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker looks better than ever

After missing almost the entire first month of the 2020-21 campaign, Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker finally got back on the court on January 17th after rehabbing from offseason surgery.

Fans were eager to see how Boston’s starting point guard would look and if he would have his old bounce back after having surgery on his knee in the offseason.

Once Walker knocked off some rust in his first game back, he’s not only looked good as new, he’s arguably looked the best he has since coming to Boston.

Watching the 30-year-old point guard fly up and down the court over the last few games has reminded me of what he looked like in Charlotte just a couple of years ago.

The stats back up what my eyes have seen, too.

In just four games back, Walker is already averaging 17 points, 4.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in just 23.5 minutes a night. He’s connecting on 34.5 percent of his triples while making 42.9 percent of his overall shots from the field.

Considering his limited minutes, those numbers aren’t bad — not bad at all. When you stretch out those averages compared to the minutes Walker has played in the past, they’re even more impressive.

Walker’s “per 36 minutes” analytics in his first four games this season are on par or better in most statistical categories than his best seasons. In four contests this year, Walker is averaging 26 points, 7.3 assists, five rebounds, and 3.4 steals when his averages are expanded out to 36 minutes per game.

For context, Walker’s averages in 36 minutes a game from last season were 23.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals. In his 2018-19 campaign, his last in Charlotte and arguably his best in the NBA, Walker averaged 26.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per 36 minutes.

In his brief return to the lineup, Walker already has one of the highest Player Efficiency Ratings (PER) on the C’s roster.

Granted, his sample size is smaller than most on the team, but his PER of 22.6 is tied with Jayson Tatum for the third-best on Boston right now.

His box plus/minus of 5.6 is second only to Jaylen Brown (6.2).

The season is young, and Kemba Walker has only been back for a small handful of games right now. How he holds up in the coming months will be crucial for the team’s success, but so far he’s looked exceptional in his limited minutes.

If Walker really is back to his old self and the Boston Celtics can stay clear of any significant injuries or any more COVID issues, then fans might be in store for a very fun rest of the season.