Swapping out Kyrie Irving and bringing in Kemba Walker shouldn’t make you a better team on paper. That’s why we play the games because right now the Celtics are on fire and Kemba Walker is proving to be a perfect fit. Kemba isn’t playing his best basketball right now, but he is providing some really important qualities to the Celtics. Boston looks like a better team and are moving the ball much better than a year ago. Walker is also protecting the ball and keeping more possessions.
The Celtics lead the NBA in turnover rate which has really sparked their strong start. Boston is turning the ball over just 12.2 percent per possession which leads the NBA by a strong margin. Kemba Walker is now the primary ball handler and his teams have been notoriously good for taking care of the ball. Of players that average over 15 points and 5 assists per game in their career, Walker has the second lowest turnover rate (10.5%) ever in the history of basketball. He trails only Michael Jordan ever.
Turning the ball over is a huge thing that common fans overlook. It creates easy looks for the opposition and really hurts a team. Notorious turnover machines include James Harden, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, and…. Kyrie Irving.
Irving isn’t as bad in this category as those first three guys but he turns the ball over more than Kemba. For all the flashy dribbles that Kyrie has, he also gives up the basketball more. There’s a reason why the Celtics are 11-2. Kemba is taking care of the ball and distributing the ball much better. The F*ck Kyrie post is coming… Kemba is proving to be a quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over and lets his teammates go to work. Just wait until Walker gets his shot going. It’s possible the Celtics have room to get even better if Walker starts shooting more effectively which should happen.
