Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker is hoping that his usage rate will go down a bit in the coming season, according to a report from masslive.com.
Walker joined the Celtics this summer, agreeing to the terms of a four-year, $141M maximum contract. He'd spent the rest of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, but now he's moved on.
Kemba was “the man,” so to speak, in Charlotte. He was always the team's No. 1 option on offense, and he played all 82 games last regular season. Now, the former No. 9 overall pick says he is enjoying the fact that he isn't the sole focal point on the Celtics' roster:
“It takes a lot of pressure off me,” Walker said via masslive.com after the team’s practice on Tuesday. “I’m getting a lot of different shots as well, but I’m loving it, not having not do so much all the time. Hopefully my usage rate might be going down a little bit. It allows other guys to make plays and I can appreciate that for sure.”
Walker and the Celtics have been playing well through this preseason campaign, as they're currently 3-0. In Sunday afternoon's convincing victory over the Cavs, Kemba racked up 12 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the three-point line, though he failed to register an assist.
Kemba was held out of Friday's exhibition against the Orlando Magic due to a sore left knee. It was likely a precautionary measure, as the ailment doesn't seem to be serious. Still, his 22.2 preseason usage rate is a bit concerning.
The Celtics will be back in preseason action on Tuesday night, when they'll travel to Cleveland for a rematch against the Cavs. Tip-off inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
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