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Boston Celtics: 3 players who didn’t live up to the hype in 2020-21

By Owen Crisafulli

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Five of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on June 01, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Five of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on June 01, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker

There really couldn’t be any other answer. Kemba Walker‘s play for the Boston Celtics was far below what the team had been expecting from him, and his time in Boston may be coming to a quick end as a result.

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Reports have already come out that Boston will look to move Walker and his massive contract this offseason after his miserable season, but that may be a tough task after what we saw this season.

Statistically, things don’t look horrible for Kemba. He still averaged 19 points per game on 42 percent from the field, and was typically Boston’s best ball-handler. But when you consider Kemba made upwards of $34 million, and only played in 43 regular seasons games, Kemba clearly isn’t living up to what the Celtics expected from him.

A deeper dive into his stats show more troubling trends.

Walker’s field goal percentage and three point percentage both decreased from last season, including a rather large two percent drop in his three point shooting. Combine that offensive drop off with some poor defensive play, and you have an undersized guard who looked unplayable for large stretches of the season.

All of this is troubling for both Walker and the Celtics. Boston shelled out a max contract to a guy who didn’t look anything like a max contract player in just his second year of the deal. And half of the time, Walker couldn’t even get on the court, due in part of a knee injury he suffered last season and never fully recovered from.

Next. 3 Celtics who exceeded expectations. dark

Just two years into his deal, it seems like the Celtics are at crossroads in terms of what to do with Walker. Maybe a full offseason of rest and rehab will help Kemba return to his old form, and he can finally give the Celtics what they were looking for when they signed him.

But Kemba was so bad at times this season that it seems like a stretch of sorts to expect him to be able to reach that level play again, especially considering he’s already entering his age 31 season next year.

That discussion is for another time however. The point is, Kemba Walker fell well short of expectations this season, and he has put the Celtics in quite a precarious situation heading into the offseason. The first big issue that Brad Stevens will now have to deal with is what to do with Kemba Walker, and that decision could have huge repercussions on how the BostonCeltics look in the future.

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