The Boston Celtics don’t look quite as good on paper as they did at this time last year. They’re losing Kyrie Irving, a superstar and a player who has hit big shots at the biggest moments on the NBA’s biggest stage.
But Kemba Walker, who until now has toiled alongside lesser talent in a decidedly not-prime-time market, should be the better fit.
That became clear when Walker introduced himself to Celtics fan. He took to the pages of The Players’ Tribune to try to shape the narrative of his arrival:
“And then to the city of Boston, and to Celtics fans everywhere, like I said: I’m more of the quiet type. I’m a man of few words. So I’ll wrap this up in a minute. But mostly I just wanted to say a quick hello, and tell you all a little about myself, so you know what to expect.”
Irving, who orchestrated his exit from Cleveland in part because he wanted to be the man on a team, wasn’t the quiet type during his fraught stay in Boston. It’s not the he didn’t make an effort to be outspoken in a positive way. It’s just that he didn’t do it often enough. He was too frequently the voice of criticism and negativity.
Walker seems intent on having a different presence. Here’s more from the Celtics’ new star in The Players’ Tribune:
“I’m a leader in my own way. I’m never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It’s not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates better — I’m that lead by example type. I like to keep it direct.”
That leadership style sounds a lot like Al Horford, a player who was well-respected in the Celtics organization but is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. The Walker acquisition is as much about replacing Horford as it is about Irving. Walker’s style should stabilize a listing locker room, which included a particularly discontent Jaylen Brown, who already seems to have arms open for Walker.
None of which is to say that the Celtics have truly solved their biggest issues. It’s still complicated in Boston. The Celtics are just another team in the East, which features impressive groups in Toronto (pending Kawhi Leonard’s decision), Milwaukee, Philly and, now, Brooklyn.
But with Walker in place, the complications seem to be logistical — replacing Horford and developing talent at other spots — rather than philosophical. Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens could find a solution to those problems in the coming days or months. That’s a straight-forward process in a way that melding the team around a mercurial superstar like Irving is not.
Boston is betting that Walker can come close to replacing Irving’s production while simultaneously making room for its other stars to emerge. That may not be the most scintillating approach on July 1st — not when other teams are adding multiple stars — but it’s one that could help steady the Celtics as they try to find a way to compete in the suddenly crowded East.
