Celtics Media Day 2019: Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Top Interviews, Videos
A year ago, the Boston Celtics' lack of chemistry unraveled what many viewed as a championship contender.
There are no such expectations this season. However, new star Kemba Walker says he's focused on creating a bond with his teammates.
"I want the camaraderie to be super high. I want us to have great chemistry as a team because it will translate on the court into wins," Walker told reporters Monday at media day.
Walker is essentially the replacement for Kyrie Irving, who left for the Brooklyn Nets this summer after being at the center of Celtics turmoil last season. Irving admitted that he "failed" as a leader during his time in Boston—hence the desire to start over in Brooklyn—and Walker offered an interesting juxtaposition with his easy-going nature.
"I'm here to be myself," Walker told reporters. "I think I'm pretty easy to get along with, so that transition, and guys being able to like me, will make the transition easier. I'm looking forward to being part of this organization and giving it 100 percent on each and every play and possession that I can."
Celtics coach Brad Stevens added that Walker's desire to win has already helped ingratiate him to the team.
"He's about winning," Stevens said. "That's been very clear from the get-go in all of our meetings. This is a team sport and Kemba is about the team."
Of course, Walker's history of winning is very limited. The Charlotte Hornets made the playoffs only twice during his career, losing in the first round both times. While the Hornets' internal issues run far deeper than Walker—and arguably hurt his standing around the league—it's fair to say the Celtics are worse than their 49-win outfit a year ago from a talent standpoint.
"We've got a lot of questions to be answered at that spot over the next few weeks, months, and this season," Stevens told reporters.
One of the biggest talent downgrades was Al Horford's departure for Philadelphia. The Celtics signed Enes Kanter to take over the center spot in their lineup, but Kanter does not bring the same versatility—particularly on the defensive end.
Kanter, who spent last season with the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers, said the Celtics' commitment to winning won him over.
"That's one of the biggest reasons I picked Celtics—because they never tank," Kanter told reporters.
One of the biggest questions, and the key to the Celtics' ceiling, is the development of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum and Brown entered last season with huge expectations to make a leap that never came. Both players plateaued and were part of the internal struggle with Irving.
Tatum said he spent the offseason focusing his offensive game on getting more efficient shots. A major criticism of Tatum last season was his focus on the midrange.
"I'm focused on getting to the basket much more, shoot more threes," Tatum told reporters. "Threes and layups and free throws."
Tatum and Brown, along with Walker and Marcus Smart, were part of the disappointing Team USA performance in the FIBA World Cup. Both Tatum and Brown spoke highly of the experience and everything they learned playing international basketball.
Whether they apply those lessons and take a leap will probably determine how the Celtics ultimately fare.
