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Slartibartfast wrote:

Green89 wrote:

hickfromfrenchlick wrote:
Well, his "clutch" shooting percentage is bad, historically.

Of course, there's a reason somebody could score a lot of clutch time points and also have a low FG%: be the only good player on a bad team, who opposing defenders can focus on and force to take difficult shots.

His FG% in the final minute of a game is bad because of exactly that. When you played the Hornets last year, which player would you focus on for the final shot if you were the opposing coach?

Overall, during "clutch time" (final five minutes of a game or OT and the game is within 5 points), Harden and Walker, the two best clutch time scorers last year, had exactly the same FG% at 41%.

You can see the Hornets clutch struggles in one hilarious/tragic Shaqtin level supercut here: https://streamable.com/p0acm

Kemba gets some bad rolls, but he also shows a strange reluctance to pull up, challenging the trees a lot and getting stuffed.

BigRedDog wrote:

Slartibartfast wrote:

Green89 wrote:
His FG% in the final minute of a game is bad because of exactly that. When you played the Hornets last year, which player would you focus on for the final shot if you were the opposing coach?

Overall, during "clutch time" (final five minutes of a game or OT and the game is within 5 points), Harden and Walker, the two best clutch time scorers last year, had exactly the same FG% at 41%.

You can see the Hornets clutch struggles in one hilarious/tragic Shaqtin level supercut here: https://streamable.com/p0acm

Kemba gets some bad rolls, but he also shows a strange reluctance to pull up, challenging the trees a lot and getting stuffed.

Exactly. THere's a lot more to it than just "he had abad team around him".... when possessions get tight and defense clamps down Kemba is not the guy you want with the ball in his hands... he tightens up and just gets a mental blank at the end of quarters.... usualy he waits waaaay too long to initiate the possession as if he's lebron or something and can create a good look out of thin air... the defense simply forces the ball out of his hands and we end up with some off-balance fadeaway from a lesser player...

His numbers in the playoffs against Miami are also appalling. Granted, he had a torn meniscus.


Kemba is my favorite player in the league. Will miss cheering for him and watching him every night. Just remember that alll that glitters ain't cold.

Slartibartfast wrote:You can see the Hornets clutch struggles in one hilarious/tragic Shaqtin level supercut here: https://streamable.com/p0acm
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LAS VEGAS — Before Kemba Walker underwent the most seismic change of his life in signing with the Boston Celtics, he needed time to process his feelings. He spent eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, lifted the franchise to two playoff appearances, made three All-Star teams and the third All-NBA team in 2018-19. He had made it known where his priority was, and hoped the Hornets would match it.

Walker qualified for the $221 million super-maximum contract over five seasons by earning a spot on the All-NBA third team after another All-Star season, but was open to signing a deal less than that amount. He simply wanted the Hornets to present him with a proposal that he could justify, even if it was slightly less than the normal max of $190 million.

None of it came.

“Tough days, **** tough days, I can’t even lie,” Walker told The Athletic. “Excuse my language. It was difficult. I couldn’t see myself just being on another team. It was just hard. That’s all I’ve known was Charlotte. Definitely some tough times. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get the offer that I wanted, and maybe not close to it, because of cap space.

“I had to get my head wrapped around the feeling and picking another team.”

Then the thought of Boston gained traction in his mind: The franchise, the roster, the city. The close proximity to his alma mater, the University of Connecticut.

“I’ll get to have a lot of UConn fans around,” Walker said. “And even better, I get a chance to get back more to school, possibly, to watch some games.”

The Hornets’ best offer to Walker was just under $160 million over five years, league sources told The Athletic, and in the meantime, the Kyrie Irving-less Celtics emerged as a significant appeal to the 29-year-old. For their part, the Hornets moved onto another young free-agent point guard, the Celtics’ Terry Rozier, who signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $58 million contract.

Walker wanted to find reasons that would push him toward staying in Charlotte, but once the offers came together and the Celtics’ option became known, he finally relented on his long-heralded desire to be a Hornet-for-life.

Walker said he did not have a final conversation with Hornets owner Michael Jordan, but understood the organization’s viewpoint.

“It’s not disappointing because I understand the business side of things,” Walker said. “I’m not mad at MJ or the organization for anything. I understand it. You have to look at both sides at the end of the day. Could MJ have went over the luxury tax? Yeah, he could have. But why?

“At the end of the day, you have to see both sides of it. That’s what helped me wrap my head around not being around Charlotte anymore. I loved Charlotte. I had to shift my mindset more as free agency got close. I had some priorities and places I wanted to go and didn’t want to go if I didn’t stay in Charlotte, and that’s when Boston even came on the scene.

“It got real, like, ‘Damn, I can really be a Celtic.’”

Walker joined the Celtics on a four-year, $142 million max deal that includes a player option for the fourth season, and will help lead an organization that is built around him and young pieces in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Walker says he is expecting a major season from Gordon Hayward, too.

In his discussions with the Celtics, Walker became excited about learning about the franchise’s traditions, but mostly succeeding in coach Brad Stevens’ system. The 6-foot-1 Walker watched from afar as the 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas had a career season for the Celtics in 2016-17, and knows about Stevens’ success with guards.

Yes, Walker is replacing Irving and an understandable goal would be to top Irving’s two seasons in a Celtic uniform. For Walker’s part, the goal is just that — but without Irving as a motivating factor.

“I’m not trying to go in and think that I have to be better than Kyrie last year,” Walker said. “It happens. Great players go to teams all the time and it just doesn’t work. It just didn’t work for him. Kyrie is one of the best players we have in this world. It was just unfortunate, an unfortunate season.

“I’m not coming in thinking I’m going to be better. I’m coming in to do my job, play my part and do what I can to elevate these guys as much as possible. Do what I can to help the team, to contribute to winning. These guys, they’ve been winning for years. I want to be part of that. This is a big-time roster. The guys that make up the roster, there’s such great young talent — guys who are hungry, who want to win and want to get better and work hard. That’s who I want to be around.

“Point guards can have great success under Coach. Obviously Kyrie left, so it was an open point guard spot. It was just perfect. Boston is such a historic place. Who wouldn’t want to play for the Celtics?”

A season ago, Boston lacked cohesion from top to bottom, from the coaching staff to its star and face of the franchise. From afar, Walker noticed the situation going awry, and began relishing the opportunity to become the next Celtics’ point guard.

Boston reached the Eastern Conference Finals in consecutive seasons in 2017 and 2018, creating similar expectations now despite the additional loss of Al Horford. Boston acquired center Enes Kanter to bolster their frontcourt, and he and Walker have held conversations about their partnership.

For years in Charlotte, simply reaching the playoffs was considered along the lines of what a conference finals berth would be elsewhere. How will Walker handle the newfound pressure?

“I haven’t wrapped my mind around contending at this high level,” Walker told The Athletic. “It doesn’t even sound right. I’ve been with the Hornets for eight years, and maybe one time we had some expectations. Maybe just one season; seven-, six-seed or something.

“This year, there will be expectations — and I’m excited. I don’t know how to feel, I’ve never had this feeling.”

eris wrote:

FuriousRiles wrote:Love Kemba wearing #8. Gotta believe he understands that was Toin's # and that there will be good amount of old school Walker #8 jersey's being pulled out of closets. Dude is making all the right moves to have Boston love him.

After Kemba makes his first 3 in Boston green, do you think he'll do a tribute shimmy?

chakdaddy wrote:Kemba seems very mature about that salary discussion and leaving, which is pretty much what I expected from his reputation.

I remember when he killed us in crunch time and I remember thinking that was how Kyrie was supposed to be...small sample size of course!

zoyathedestroya wrote:

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sam_I_am wrote:

zoyathedestroya wrote:

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I think his defense was the difference between what we saw in playoffs last year and last night. Without a sustained great team effort .... there is no way the Celtics come back and win last night. To be fair, before his knee surgery, Kyrie was a part of a lot of great comebacks too...because he bought in. Last year he didn’t and I don’t think we had one good come from behind win all season. We needed his offense last night to win that game but if he wasn’t a big part of a team effort to defend, that comeback doesn’t happen. Of course it was Smart and Semi who did a great job on Giannis, but Kemba actually defended Kris Middleton a lot last night. And he showed he is willing to take some hard charges too.

Joshyjess wrote:Is Kemba the next Garnet? When I see the way that Walker has embraced his new team, it reminds me a lot of Garnet. KG played most of his career on a team that wasn't very good, yet he always stayed loyal to them, and was a fan favorite. Near the latter part of his career, he of course came to Boston, and seemed to fall in love with it. He immediately became a fan favorite, and you could see the joy he had playing for a good team. Now Garnet has two favorite teams - The Twolvs and the C's.
When I see Kemba, I think the same thing is going to happen. Kemba was incredibly loyal to his team for so many years (even though they were never that good), he was by far the fans favorite player, and he still only has great things to say about the team and the city of Charlotte. Now he's on a much better team, and he's already a fan favorite here as well. You can see the joy in his face every time he walks on the floor. I can easily see Walker spending the final 5 or 6 years (or whatever) of his career in Boston, and ending, like Garnet, with two favorite teams, and with 2 fan bases that just love him. (and hopefully with at least one title as well - if not more!)

London2Boston wrote:

Joshyjess wrote:Is Kemba the next Garnet? When I see the way that Walker has embraced his new team, it reminds me a lot of Garnet. KG played most of his career on a team that wasn't very good, yet he always stayed loyal to them, and was a fan favorite. Near the latter part of his career, he of course came to Boston, and seemed to fall in love with it. He immediately became a fan favorite, and you could see the joy he had playing for a good team. Now Garnet has two favorite teams - The Twolvs and the C's.
When I see Kemba, I think the same thing is going to happen. Kemba was incredibly loyal to his team for so many years (even though they were never that good), he was by far the fans favorite player, and he still only has great things to say about the team and the city of Charlotte. Now he's on a much better team, and he's already a fan favorite here as well. You can see the joy in his face every time he walks on the floor. I can easily see Walker spending the final 5 or 6 years (or whatever) of his career in Boston, and ending, like Garnet, with two favorite teams, and with 2 fan bases that just love him. (and hopefully with at least one title as well - if not more!)

I don’t like comparing anyone to KG tbh. KG was once in a lifetime mentality.

Shout out to Kemba though.