All-Star point guard Kemba Walker still gets plenty of support from Hornets fans whenever he plays in Charlotte, even if he’s now wearing a Celtics jersey after switching sides this summer, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Fans in Charlotte were no different yesterday, serenading Walker when he checked out for the night in a contest his new team won definitively, 109-92.
“People are going to react like that forever,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters post-game. “He’s a special guy and an awfully good player. He’s been really good for us.” Walker is averaging 22.5 PPG and 5.5 APG for the 23-8 Celtics.
Here’s more from out of the Atlantic:
- Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports that the Knicks considered trading their 2015 first-round draft pick (which wound up being No. 4 pick Kristaps Porzingis) as part of a deal for then-All Star center DeMarcus Cousins. This move could have made for an appetizing frontcourt tandem with Carmelo Anthony.
- Prestige summer signee Al Horford wants the Sixers to step up their defensive focus as they look to end their third three-game losing streak this season, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports. “We need to stick together,” Horford said. The team is 7-11 on the road, but 16-2 at home. “We have to be more conscious of doing the things that coach wants us to do, defensively.”
- The Raptors have managed to stay afloat this season despite losing Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard this summer and losing Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell to injuries for at least nine games each. The Toronto Star’s Doug Smith reports that the Raptors are eager for their players’ health to stabilize in 2020. Coach Nick Nurse observed that there have been some benefits to the team’s losing so many top players. “We’ve got a lot more reps out of a lot of other things in games — with a lot of guys that we probably didn’t think would get a lot of reps — and we’ve got a look at a lot of different defenses and stuff,” Nurse said. “So it’s been give and take, good and bad.”
Now that Portland has gone 8-12 with Melo in the lineup, isn’t it strange how there are no longer multiple articles about him every day?
Rent free
Should have done the Boogie deal in hindsight, no guarantee he blows out his Achillies and Knee.
If that helps them keep KP as a pairing, then sure.
On second read I see the scenario would be for Cousins + Melo, not Cousins + Porzingus, since the Zinger pick would be traded away to get Cousins.
For some reason I would call that interesting more than dominating… they might get in each other’s way, Cousins + Melo. Harder to picture.
Boogie was trash back then too. A black hole ball stopper on offence, and no good on D. Not to mention his negative attitude on and off the court. Even in his ‘prime’, Boogie wasn’t all that
Sad to disparage one of the nicest guys to ever play in the league, but if it makes you happy go on & be the uncivilized person that you enjoy been.
‘one of the nicest guys’?!! Ha
If Cousins makes your “good guy” list, can’t help but wonder who you believe is bad.
Would Cousins be so “bad” if he were half of a duo with KP?
In this scenario, I think synergy & wins would follow and nobody would want to see them broken up.
Not sure Cousins would be injury-free though.
The Knicks caught a break there, I guess. Can’t wait to trade DSJ.
Kemba looks like a really nice and easy-going guy, and gave it all, for many years and without a complaint, for a team with no real aspirations. Players like him are always going to be warmly welcomed by the fans.
A tandem of Anthony and Cousins would have been a complete disaster that may have been worse than the current disaster. Knicks might have won just enough to just miss out on making the playoffs or get eliminated in the first round. People need to stop trying to re-write history. Carmelo was never good enough and Cousins is another sullen headcase who has never “led” a good team anywhere. Pure fiction to think otherwise.
They would have made the playoffs likely a middling seed but adding a true center provides everything they wanted out of amare staudimire (however you spell it) and then some (seeing as melo was/is more of a 4, and with him at 4 your center needs to rebound, shoot, and block). Cousins can provide all of that to some extent and most of which at an all star level. Now would they get close to even the conference finals? No. But several more competent moves for 3 and d wingers and a glue guy and they very well could. Even without additional moves too Much talent there to no make the playoffs
By the time of the 2015 draft, you could have brought in LeBron to play with Melo and the team would have gone nowhere. He was never a complete player or an efficient one, even on offense. But after his last major surgery, he lost any bounce he had to and around the basket, and was no longer even an elite scorer. Because of how he viewed himself, he became a negative, one that even LeBron couldn’t have cancelled out.
Ya i had been very well accustomed to the fact tuat kemba was a clear (tho minor) downgrade from irving. But now im switching up, kemba is equal to irving for the celtics and in general. Statistically, the margins between irving and kemba are for the most part (if not entirely) small. Overall similar offensive output, with irving being better. But factor in kembas defense (namely charges) which while not elite is clearly better then irvings as well as his locker room presence/attitude and his health it becomes quite clear that those traits more than make up for any statistical edge irving holds on offense. They are equals. Could irving beat walker on a one on one? Yes. But that isnt the game thats being played here
Health being the big one here, kembas durability shouldnt be easily dismissed. Your no good to your team if you cant take tue court.
Both Denver and Philly are among the top 5 or 10 defenses in the NBA. But now that the Rockets are finally at 100%, those elite defenses gave up 130 and 118 points respectively to perhaps the most dangerous team in the basketball right now.