In the Boston Celtics' Game 1 defeat to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Kemba Walker scored just 19 points on a horrendous 31.5 percent from the field. With that said, Danny Ainge didn't mince words on his assessment of Walker's performance.
However, he did express his confidence that the guard will bounce back.
In an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich,” Ainge shared his thoughts on the Celtics' defeat. From his observation, Walker has to adjust to the defensive schemes thrown at him.
“Kemba hasn’t played well, I think he would be the first one to admit that,” the Celtics GM explained, per Hayden Bird of boston.com. “I think the defense and the opponents that we’re playing have something to do with it. I think that when they make it really hard on guys — and I’ve experienced this myself, I’ve seen players much better than myself experience it — they make it really hard on you, and then when you do get that open one it’s just more difficult.
“He’s got to figure it out, and I’m confident that he will.”
As for the entire Celtics squad, Ainge noticed the lack of energy in the fourth. Reflecting back at his significant experience during his playing days, big leads can change in a matter of minutes. As such, his team's behavior is not acceptable.
“It looked like we fatigued, it looked like we were trying to use [the] clock,” the Celtics boss added. “When we had a 14-point lead we put it in slowed down motion. That’s always just hard to change momentum. The team that’s down 14 is trying to speed the game up and the team that’s up 14 is trying to slow the game down. And it’s always a danger. I’ve seen it throughout this playoffs, and playoffs of the past. It’s a danger of when to slow the game down, and knowing when to do it and when not to.”
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be on Thursday. Will Kemba Walker and the Celtics heed Danny Ainge's advice? And once they do, will it be enough to tie the series at one game apiece?
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