After handing Kemba Walker $141 million in the summer of 2019, the Boston Celtics have come to realize that they may have given superstar money to their third (and sometimes fourth) option in the offense.
Now granted, Walker can still be a superstar as the robin to the “Jays'” batman. There’s no shame in being the Chris Bosh or Kevin Love of a championship trio.
Is this a championship trio, though?
That is a question that will likely be answered by Walker’s performance in 2020-21. If he can continue to serve a role in the background and the team can win games at a healthy clip, then that’s a well-spent $34 million this season.
The only thing, though, is that since Walker’s return, the Boston Celtics haven’t been doing a whole lot of winning; the Cs are 2-4 since the return of “Cardiac Kemba”.
Worse yet, the team has a plus/minus of -6.6 with their All-Star point guard on the floor this season. How is this possible after going 27-13 last season?
Well, this season has been a weird one for a multitude of reasons–none less prominent than the constant cancellations and forced absences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But to ignore Walker’s regression since his knee issues started flaring up last year around this time would be a fool’s errand.
The Bronx native was up and down in the bubble, failing to register a single 20-point game while on a relative minutes restriction. His playoff performance changed the narrative, with a particularly efficient series against Miami giving fans hope that Walker is still a franchise point guard.
Now, though, it seems that he’s just trying to fit in:
Kemba Walker said he doesn’t want Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown to adjust now that they’re all back on the court together. Walker said he’ll be the one to make the adjustments. He wants Tatum and Brown to stay super aggressive.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 29, 2021
“I’ll figure it out.”
The Boston Celtics need Kemba Walker to be “the guy” on some nights…or his $34 million cap figure could be better spent elsewhere.
Even with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown now profiling as full-fledged stars this season, Walker needs to deliver on the promise of being the team’s floor general and play up to the level of his contract.
If he doesn’t, the Cs are better off finding a better fitting third star for their home-grown core.