Kendrick Perkins sees Kemba Walker not ‘fitting in’ with the Celtics

24 February 2021 | 12:40 nm

Kendrick Perkins does not like what he sees now with his former team.

The former Celtics center especially does not like the way point guard Kemba Walker plays. After the Celtics’ 110-107 defeat to the Mavericks on Tuesday, Perkins suggested it might be time to move on from Walker.

“I just don’t see Kemba fitting in anymore,” Perkins told NBC Sports Boston. Celtics Postgame Live. “‘As for me, the Celtics look better without him on the floor. I mean, I’m sorry I’m having a hard time with Kemba and a little bit critical, but that’s just it – he does not fill the gap at the moment on the offensive side and acts as the most important and defensive side is he still an obligation. ”

Tuesday’s game was another poor shooting for Walker. Despite scoring 21 points, Walker fired 8-for-19 off the field, including eight consecutive shots over a two-quarter team. Walker’s performance Tuesday comes on the heels of his poor shooting against the Pelicans Sunday, in which he shoots 5-for-21 from the field and 1-for-12 from 3-point distance.

Walker’s performances in his last two games have been the biggest part of his season. The four-time All-Star averaged 17.3 points per game, shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from the three-point range, all of which are the worst figures since his first season in the league.

The 30-year-old missed the Celtics’ first 11 games of the season after receiving knee injections in the off-season. Walker has played in his first few games on a strict restriction of the game and is unlikely to play on the rugby days in the game.

Prior to the last two games, Walker had a series of four games in which he showed signs of his All-Star game. The record ended with a 28-point performance in the Celtics’ 121-109 victory over the Hawks on Friday.

Walker’s struggle certainly contributed to the Celtics’ disappointing record, which is now below 1500 at 15-16. Perkins does not see this team reaching the same heights as last season.

“If we now look at this Celtics team as it is currently built and we think it is a team that could possibly win this year’s Eastern Conference and reach the finals, then we are all deceiving ourselves,” said Perkins. said. “I don’t know if this Celtics team can get it out of the first round, to be honest, and it’s scary.”

The Celtics will want to return to .500 on Wednesday when they tackle the Falcons for the third time in eight days. Because Wednesday’s game is the Celtics’ second game in two days, Walker is unlikely to play.