As NBA players flock to the NBA restart bubble in Walt Disney World, they're bringing everything from barbeque sauce to video game streaming setups. Boston Celtics’ point guard Kemba Walker is lugging around one piece of baggage he wishes he didn’t have to: a nagging left knee injury.
Addressing the media from Orlando, Florida, the former UConn star tried bringing some optimism to his eventual return to form as the Celtics prepare for a playoff run. The knee has been bothering Walker since All-Star Weekend, forcing him to miss Boston’s first six games following the break. When he did get on the court, Walker’s shooting numbers plummeted, converting at just .279 percent from the floor and .208 percent from three. Those numbers are in stark contrast to Walker’s season averages of .421 percent shooting and .377 percent from beyond the arch.
Boston began practicing on the Disney campus as it prepares for the restart and seeding games. The Celtics plan is to stagger Walker’s participation in an effort to have their prize free-agent acquisition back to full speed by the postseason.
“I don’t know when, but I’ll be back. The plan is to just take things pretty slow— that’s really it,” Walker said. “Like I said, I’m feeling really good right now but I don’t want to have any setbacks or anything like that. Just taking it slow, but I’ll be back in time for when things get real for sure.”
Walker returning to form, along with the rising prowess of Jayson Tatum, would make the Celtics one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. Boston begins its seeding games on July 31 against the Milwaukee Bucks with a chance to overtake the Toronto Raptors for the second seed in the East. That scenario becomes very questionable if Walker can’t get healthy, even after a three-month layoff.
“It was definitely a pain. I can’t really explain it, but it was a pain on the side of my knee that was bothering me. I don’t know what much else I can say but throughout my career, I haven’t missed many games,” said Walker. “It was bothering me so it was the best choice for me to sit out. Like I said, this isn’t normal for me to be out like this, but you know it is the smart way to go about this because I want to be at my best for my teammates and this organization when the regular season comes around, and most definitely in the playoffs.”
Prior to the injury, Walker was having another stellar year, making his fourth-straight All-Star Game appearance. Walker's ability to efficiently run both the pick-and-roll game and head coach Brad Stevens' offensive sets was really starting to show prior to his knee issues.
“Two priorities going into this year were to pick a few things [Walker] would be really comfortable with so that he can transition easily, smoothly, and well, which I thought he did. We tried to take advantage of our interchangeability with our other guys,” Stevens said. “Those were the two things in the beginning of year that dictated how we were going to play on the offensive end.
Stevens went on to say, "There were things we were going to add specific to Kemba as we got closer to the playoffs and there are certainly things we will add now specific to his strengths… We knew we had a bunch of fives who could roll, get to the rim, and be effective at the rim surrounded by really versatile, interchangeable wings, and then Kemba brings an offensive dynamic that is unique.”
Walker was certainly enjoying his role in Stevens' offense before things went south with his knee.
“Over the last couple of years I’ve been tops in the pick-and-roll,” the former Husky said. “You know here, I think being a lot more efficient, having the guys on the perimeter around me who are really efficient as well, it also creates a lot of opportunity for me as far as spacing. Brad definitely puts me in great positions to be successful with the basketball. He knows pick-and-roll is one of my things.”
Boston fans have been pining to see a healthy Walker playing alongside Jayson Tatum. Tatum earned his first All-Star selection this season and in the nine games following the break, the third-year pro averaged 30 points per game, eight rebounds, three assists, and 1.6 steals on .472 percent shooting, including .468 percent from three.
“I think we can be pretty tough for sure. Since (Tatum) has been killing it the way he has been, I haven’t been really able to help out the way I’ve wanted to, but I’m definitely looking forward to coming back and making an impact for all my teammates and just being better than I was before the season ended,” said Walker.
The Celtics are locked into the playoffs which gives Boston the liberty of taking their time with Walker’s return, bringing him along slowly, and building toward the postseason. While the rest of the NBA players will eventually pack up all their luggage from the bubble, Walker is optimistic he can leave the knee issue behind in Disney.
“It is definitely pretty frustrating, just because I’m not that guy who misses many games, especially throughout the course of my career. I’m not really concerned because I’m trending upwards, getting better, and closer to a return. I’m fine—I’ll be back better than ever,” he said.
