Celtics Pursuing Kemba Walker?

[Rocktheworld]

Blame Kyrie? It's not that simple, Boston

Kyrie Irving's polarizing season has left him as a scapegoat of Celtics problems bigger than just him.

www.espn.com

I do not like Kyrie pseudo-philosophical rubbish as much as the next guy. It's vapid and generally meaningless if you have half a lick of critical thinking ability.

But last season was not all his fault entirely.

I do think Kemba will be a better player in Boston. Not by the stats, but because the way he plays will allow Tatum and Brown (and hopefully the new draftees) to develop better. He's help lead young talent before if I remember correctly.

Oh I hear you. The Gordon Hayward situation was awkward and didn’t help. I don’t think the trade talks around the deadline helped either.

But I don’t think you’d deny that Kyrie poisoning the locker room was easily the most salient aspect of how things fell apart this season.

 

[auror]

This article has Lowe saying the Celtics can still sign kemba and get the full mle somehow. He doesn’t explain how, just says it’s complex.

Lowe: Seven big questions heading into NBA's crazy free agency

NBA free agency gets underway officially on Sunday. Here's what we're watching.

www.espn.com

Think my post may have been deleted, but it looks like the path to keeping the full MLE is a double sign and trade with Horford's new team and Charlotte.

 

[the Q]

Blame Kyrie? It's not that simple, Boston

Kyrie Irving's polarizing season has left him as a scapegoat of Celtics problems bigger than just him.

www.espn.com

I do not like Kyrie pseudo-philosophical rubbish as much as the next guy. It's vapid and generally meaningless if you have half a lick of critical thinking ability.

But last season was not all his fault entirely.

I do think Kemba will be a better player in Boston. Not by the stats, but because the way he plays will allow Tatum and Brown (and hopefully the new draftees) to develop better. He's help lead young talent before if I remember correctly.

I think he could be better simply because we saw how brad made It look so much better than he actually was. You run a lot of the same offense with kemba

 

[the Q]

Think my post may have been deleted, but it looks like the path to keeping the full MLE is a double sign and trade with Horford's new team and Charlotte.

That makes sense. I figured it couldn’t be as simple as signing kemba and paying Berlin Wall, who is the only must sign fa beyond the two guys we know are leaving.

 

[husky429]

Think my post may have been deleted, but it looks like the path to keeping the full MLE is a double sign and trade with Horford's new team and Charlotte.

What's the incentive for the other new teams? a 2nd round pick as a carrot or something?

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I’d think Kemba is more athletic and less of a defensive liability. And personality is incredibly important for leaders in team sports. Kyrie is arrogant, thinks he’s smarter than he is, and is difficult to coach. Jaylen Brown tweeted “I’d rather walk than ride with bad company” in reference to Kyrie. His non-basketball makeup played a big role in Boston’s failure of a season

Kyrie didn’t look so great when he didn’t have his big bro Bron around... always wondered how Kemba’s and Kyrie’s careers and how they as players would look now if Kyrie never got to shine riding Bron’s coat tails. I doubt many would consider Kyrie a top 5 PG, possibly not even a max-level player, if he was in Kemba’s basketball situation for 7 years

But let’s establish the difference between saying Kemba is a better basketball player versus Kemba is a better fit on a team. Two very different things.

Kemba is a better team basketball player, better leader. But Kyrie is a more gifted basketball player and a better individual player, as seen by having better shooting numbers and higher efficiency, and by the fact that when you watch him he is a better player than Kemba. I don’t know what else to say.

It’s really funny the shift of narrative, multiple Celtics fans talking about how LeBron rode Kyrie’s coattails in the NBA finals to try to lessen LeBron, and now that Kyrie road LeBron coattails once Kyrie screwed the Celtics over and saying they’d rather have Kemba anyway. (Not saying you, but I’ve heard people do it)

 

[auror]

What's the incentive for the other new teams? a 2nd round pick as a carrot or something?

Yeah, probably to Horford's new team. Charlotte would net a large trade exception, which could be useful to them since they're over the cap even after not re-signing Kemba (oof). Horford's new team (if the Mavs) don't really have any incentive to do it, so you'd likely throw them a bone (pick).

 

[the Q]

Yeah, probably to Horford's new team. Charlotte would net a large trade exception, which could be useful to them since they're over the cap even after not re-signing Kemba (oof). Horford's new team (if the Mavs) don't really have any incentive to do it, so you'd likely throw them a bone (pick).

Charlotte would trade the exception. They are trying to avoid the tax.

 

[Rocktheworld]

But let’s establish the difference between saying Kemba is a better basketball player versus Kemba is a better fit on a team. Two very different things.

Kemba is a better team basketball player, better leader. But Kyrie is a more gifted basketball player and a better individual player, as seen by having better shooting numbers and higher efficiency, and by the fact that when you watch him he is a better player than Kemba. I don’t know what else to say.

Ultimately I agree

It’s really funny the shift of narrative, multiple Celtics fans talking about how LeBron rode Kyrie’s coattails in the NBA finals to try to lessen LeBron, and now that Kyrie road LeBron coattails once Kyrie screwed the Celtics over and saying they’d rather have Kemba anyway. (Not saying you, but I’ve heard people do it)

I can’t believe anyone would say that Bron rode Kyrie’s “coat tails” as if Kyrie even had cost tails to ride at that point. That is beyond absurd. What idiots are you talking to lol

 

[auror]

Charlotte would trade the exception. They are trying to avoid the tax.

If they're smart, they'd take on a bad or expiring contract dump for an asset. but yeah, instead they'll probably use assets to get out of cap hell instead of being patient.

 

[Walker11]

But let’s establish the difference between saying Kemba is a better basketball player versus Kemba is a better fit on a team. Two very different things.

Kemba is a better team basketball player, better leader. But Kyrie is a more gifted basketball player and a better individual player, as seen by having better shooting numbers and higher efficiency, and by the fact that when you watch him he is a better player than Kemba. I don’t know what else to say.

It’s really funny the shift of narrative, multiple Celtics fans talking about how LeBron rode Kyrie’s coattails in the NBA finals to try to lessen LeBron, and now that Kyrie road LeBron coattails once Kyrie screwed the Celtics over and saying they’d rather have Kemba anyway. (Not saying you, but I’ve heard people do it)

Kyrie is better. They are also separated by a single spot on the PG hierarchy.

 

[the Q]

If they're smart, they'd take on a bad or expiring contract dump for an asset. but yeah, instead they'll probably use assets to get out of cap hell instead of being patient.

I don’t think they’ll do much. They’ll do just enough to avoid the tax. Let the crap expire. And then waste the space again.

 

[RayRay19]

Official!!!!! Kemba to the Celtics!!!!! Legooooo!!!!!!

 

[Hey Adrien!]

It's a four-year max deal totalling 141 million.

Pretty cool! I'm a Knicks fan, but really great to see Kemba come to Boston! It'll be interesting to see how they fill out their frontcourt.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Guess I'm a Celtics fan now

 

[UconnU]

Big for us right? More time on campus, more local kids growing up idolizing Kemba.

 

[husky429]

Celtics are going to have 0 depth. But kemba, hayward, brown, tatum, smart are going go be must-see-tv.

 

[UconnU]

June has been a decent news month for Uconn hoops.

 

[the Q]

Official before they are even legally allowed to make contact....

 

[UofCT]

He is a better shooter than Kemba. Better ball handler, better scorer. It’s not even really that close.

I get you're trying to make a point but it's a lot closer than you're making it out to be

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I get you're trying to make a point but it's a lot closer than you're making it out to be

Talent wise, it’s not I don’t think.
IMO the list in terms of individual talent goes (not including Harden, don’t really count him as a true PG, but some do. Could go either way)

1. Steph
2. Kyrie
3. Westbrook (not a fan of his game/intangibles, but talent is off the charts)
4. Lillard

Then Kemba kind of leads the next tier of PGs.

Love me some Kemba though, obviously, and thrilled to have him on the Celtics. He’s a much better fit for the team, obviously.

 

[auror]

Underrated, but Kemba getting a max is good for the UConn brand as well.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Can’t lie, for a while I was at best ambivalent to the Celtics for how they treated Ray. But I guess I have no choice but to become a fan now

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Kyrie is the most overrated player of last 10 years.

 

[husky429]

Can't overlook that Kemba isn't an injury risk either. Kyrie is great, but he's missed the playoffs and dozens of games.