Kemba Walker played all 82 games last season and had the best year of his career, which was capped by an All-NBA third team selection – but Charlotte reportedly wasn’t willing to offer Walker a supermax deal, and he left in free agency to replace the exiting Kyrie Irving in Boston.
Walker is a three-time All-Star, but he generally considered to be a second-tier free agent in the class of 2019, behind the likes of Irving, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. On Thursday, ESPN’s Jalen Rose predicted that Walker will ascend to a superstar level on the bigger stage in Boston, and will start getting the recognition he deserves as an elite player.
“I think Kemba Walker is now going to introduce himself to the masses as one of the top players in the game at his position. He’s been a 20-plus point scorer, he’s led Charlotte to the playoffs, he’s been an All-NBA player. He can get his own shot off the dribble. He can put you on skates as well as anybody in the league, whether it’s making the 3-point shot, a midrange shot. He can finish at the hoop.
His percentages are going to go up from three and from the field now that he’s playing with better players around him. Now the Boston Celtics have the best collection of perimeter players in the Eastern Conference.”
