Boston Celtics: Recognizing 3 Stars in win over Toronto

Boston Celtics’ star #3: Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker had an all-around encouraging game for Boston Celtics fans, scoring 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting. All five of those makes were from beyond the arc, as he did not make a two-point shot. This wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but it’s hard to go anywhere but up after his last week of performances.

Walker adjusted to the offense with both Tatum and Brown running more pick-and-roll, as he was fed multiple spot-up looks for three. Throughout his career, Kemba would always have to create his own shot, pulling up directly off the high screen to get a good look. Now, with numerous threats in all aspects of the offense, he can reliably shoot without exerting himself too much.

He also went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, showing more aggression in driving to the rim than in previous weeks. This part of Walker’s game will take the most time to come back off of his nagging knee injuries, as it’s a gradual process gaining the mental confidence to play through contact after not doing it for so long. However, it was certainly encouraging to see him draw numerous fouls and sink all his free throws, something Kemba used to be known to do.

Furthermore, he also grabbed five rebounds and dished three assists, rounding up to a solid game. This is what the Boston Celtics need from the former All-Star: an efficient 18-20 points each night while acting as a secondary option on offense. With this game, it looks like he can do that.