Enes Kanter made one last impression in 2019 before the flip of the calendar year, as the Boston Celtics big man blocked a career-high six shots on Tuesday's 109-92 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Teammate Gordon Hayward, who had a strong game on his own right with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, praised the Turkish center for his career-best performance after the win.
“I didn’t realize it was six blocks,” said Hayward, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “That’s pretty big time. He’s been telling people he’s a stop sign.”
Enes Kanter made the most out of his time coming off the bench, filling the stat sheet with 13 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and six blocks in 23 minutes of play. His impact was felt early and often, as he poured in plenty of shots in the paint (6-of-7) and pounded the glass with the second unit.
The 6-foot-10 big man is far from being a “stop sign,” but he does have a career-high 0.8 blocks per game this season, three decimal points better than he's had four different times in his career.
The Celtics somehow find a way to instill their defensive culture into any player, no matter their reputation. Kemba Walker has gone from an average, undersized defender to a solid one, also averaging a career-high in blocks per game.
Kanter has bought into Brad Stevens' system and is now surprising his teammates with performances of this kind. He had blocked two shots in four different occasions this season, but he benefitted from a small backcourt of Terry Rozier and Devonte' Graham to feast with a career-best six rejections.
Follow Us
Subscribe