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Kemba walker stats last 10 games9/26/2023 Walker’s minutes per gameĪ lot has been made of how limited Walker was during the recent postseason, but he still averaged 19.6 points and 5.1 assists per game. It wouldn’t produce the prettiest basketball all the time, but it should work if the Celtics defense plays like one of the league’s best. Grind out stops for three quarters, then give the ball to Tatum down the stretch. He could lean on defensive-minded lineups early. Boston’s second-unit backcourt will be pretty small if Jeff Teague and Payton Pritchard both play, but Stevens will have plenty of options with size and defensive versatility. ![]() Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson make up a reliable, productive center rotation. Brown can guard just about anyone 1 through 4. Tatum just finished a quietly great season on that end of the court. If the scoring lags, as I suspect it might, the defense will need to be great to avoid a so-so (or worse) start. While Walker’s out, they could have some ugly offensive stretches. Over the past couple of weeks, he has preached that the Celtics could take a while to start playing their best basketball. A couple of years ago, he was clearly worried. Stevens usually has a good read on his team during preseason. Team defensive rating through the end of January He wants the extra responsibilities, but whether he can maintain his impressive efficiency - and lift up the players around him - remains to be seen. He could need to lift that number, especially early in the season while the Celtics are shorthanded. He has never averaged more than 2.1 assists per game. ![]() If he can prop up bench units, like Tatum did last year, it would represent a major development for the Celtics.īrown averaged more turnovers than assists last season. Jaylen Brown’s assists per gameīrown’s playmaking - not always a strong suit - should be more important than ever. The Celtics were great last year when shorthanded, but repeating that feat will be more difficult after losing Hayward. Staying healthy outside of Walker will also be important. Still, holding up during the non-Tatum minutes will be a challenge. ![]() The Celtics will look different when they’re a bit healthier and playing regular rotations. Boston won his minutes by seven points, but lost all other minutes by 40 points. During preseason, Tatum’s on-off splits were startling. Walker will miss at least some time due to his knee injury. The Celtics no longer have Hayward to help run the show. They still dropped off a cliff without Tatum, registering a net rating of -0.8 during his time off the court. When Tatum hit the bench last year, the Celtics almost always had a plus playmaker to run the offense. A significant burden will be on Tatum’s shoulders regardless, but it will be interesting to see just how heavy that weight is. Funneling even more of the offense through Tatum would be a departure from coach Brad Stevens’ usual style, but Isaiah Thomas’s best years in Boston show Stevens can adapt when it makes sense for his team. ![]() This season’s Celtics could need to grind out some possessions, especially while Walker’s out. They didn’t always ask him to go Full Tatum, but that option should look even more enticing this season with fewer playmaking options around him. He averaged 28 points per 36 minutes during those stretches and the Celtics typically blasted their opponents. During minutes without Walker last season, Tatum’s usage rate soared all the way to 32, which would have ranked ninth over the full regular season. Tatum is already one of the NBA’s best scorers. Tatum doesn’t have the playmaking chops of Luka Doncic or James Harden (hardly anybody does) but averaged five assists per game during the playoffs and should be expected to continue advancing that part of his game. Some of the best offenses orbit around one player. The coaching staff could at least be tempted to turn Tatum loose. The Celtics lost one of their best playmakers in Gordon Hayward and won’t have Kemba Walker on the court for at least a little while. I’m most interested in seeing how much of the Celtics offense bends toward Tatum.
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