NBA Roundtable: Kemba Walker has the Celtics soaring

BetAmerica has teamed up with Covers and Oddschecker to break down the latest news and trends from around the Association. This week NBA columnists Andrew Caley, Sam Farley and Ryan Murphy discuss Kemba Walker's impact in Boston, hidden free agent gems and the Warriors' historic ineptitude.

The Boston Celtics are now 11-2 while the Brooklyn Nets are 5-8. Is it too early to blame all of Boston’s failures last season on Kyrie Irving?

Andrew: Now, you’re never going to get me to say Kemba Walker is better than Kyrie Irving. That said, the Nets going under their season win total this year was one of my favorite preseason bets. Kemba is clearly a better team and culture fit in Boston. While Kyrie just continues to show that he isn’t the type of player capable of leading a team. Not to mention by bringing in Irving and Kevin Durant the Nets had to jettison a bunch of glue guys that made them so fun last year. Brooklyn could be really good in 2020-21 when Durant returns so Kyrie can slip back into a Robin role that he is more suited to. I just thought the honeymoon was going to last a little longer than this.

Sam: It’s really not fair to blame everything on Kyrie. Was he a disruptive element? Potentially yes, and it’s obvious that he wasn’t great as a leader, something we can see in the wake of his move to Brooklyn and numerous missteps last year. However, the Celtics had wider problems than just Kyrie and it’s not just him who has moved on. Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier have also left for greener pastures. This isn’t about what one person did, more what a group of others have done. Gordon Hayward was looking sensational before his broken hand sidelined him. Likewise Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have really come into their own this year and are delivering after 12 lost months, and that young combination is driving the team this year. They’ve put up a better net rating than other big twos, including LeBron and AD, Giannis and Khris Middleton and the Sixers' Embiid and Simmons combo. When you have a pair of wings like that you’re always going to be in contention, so lets focus on praising their game and the improvements that they’ve made and less time dumping on Kyrie.

Ryan: Few would argue that Kemba Walker is better than Kyrie Irving, but Walker appears to be a far better fit in Boston, where his selflessness and willingness to make the extra pass have allowed the Celtics’ supporting cast to flourish. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis are all averaging career highs and Walker is a big reason why. Unlike Irving, he doesn’t pound the air out of the ball and he doesn’t turn his teammates into bystanders. I’d still prefer to have Irving with the game on the line, but Walker and his low-maintenance personality are ideal for an 82-game grind.

Carmelo Anthony is officially back in the NBA. Which other exiled pro would you like to see back in the league?

Andrew: The answer has to be Jimmer Fredette, right? The former BYU star is now playing for Greek League Panathinaikos after a three-year stint in China, where he averaged nearly 40 points per game, and a cup of coffee with the Warriors in the summer league this year. But you’re telling me Jimmer can’t play for this Warriors team in the three-point saturated NBA? Dude is hitting 55% of his threes in the Greek/Euro League this season. The pay in Athens is probably much better, but if Melo can come back, why not Jimmer?

Sam: For me it’s got to be Lance Stephenson. I’m sure he’s enjoying life over in China but we need him - and more importantly his antics - back in the league. He had a solid NBA career, but when it came to trolling he was a Hall of Famer. Let’s get Lance back in the league where he belongs.

Ryan: Give me Kenneth Faried. The Manimal recently signed a $4.4 million deal to play in China, but he belongs in the NBA, where his athleticism and relentless work on the glass could be put to good use on any of the Association’s 30 teams. The fact that Faried didn’t generate any interest after averaging 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds last season in Houston is baffling to me.

The Warriors are 3-12 and may be without Klay Thompson and Steph Curry for the rest of the season. Will they end up with the worst record in NBA history?

Andrew: Well, the Charlotte Bobcats managed just seven wins (59 losses) in the lockout-shortened 2012 campaign. That’s a .106 winning percentage and the worst in NBA history. While the 1972-73 76ers went 9-73 (.110). So, 10 wins gets the Dubs off the hook for worst team ever. Currently, they are on pace for about 12 wins and I think they get there. Draymond Green still competes, Willie Cauley-Stein is getting back into the flow and D’Angelo Russell could be back in a few weeks. With the combination of those guys and a very good coaching staff still in place, I think this group is just good enough to avoid the all-time basement season.

Sam: Maybe not the worst, but it’s going to get nasty. I’ve got warn you, that as a basketball fan you should enjoy this down year. They’ll end up with a great pick, and inevitably add some incredible rookie to the returning Warriors next year. Enjoy this slump and the memes while you can.

Ryan: The Warriors have been abysmal, but I'd bet the house they’ll win at least eight more games and leapfrog the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. After all, Golden State still has a pair of legitimate All-Stars in Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell, who should be back in two weeks after spraining his right thumb. They also have a future star in Eric Paschall, who is averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 rebounds and has already scored 30 points or more twice this season. That’s far more than the Sixers had when they finished 9-73 and 59 games behind the division-leading Boston Celtics. Don't lose any sleep over the Warriors; they'll be back spanking teams again in 2020.

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