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Enes Kanter: Basketball Provides Platform

Bigger Than Basketball

Enes Kanter recently signed a 2-year $10 Million contract with the Boston Celtics. The former Trailblazer joined All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker as the two noteworthy off-season Celtics free agent acquisitions. Kanter will fill the veteran offensive void left by the departure of Al Horford. One of the best post players in the NBA, Kanter averaged 13.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game on splits of 54.9/29.4/78.7 in 2018-2019. The University of Kentucky star was the 3^rd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the highest for any Turkish-born player in NBA history. Kanter is also only the fourth first round Turkish NBA Draft Pick, joining Mirsad Türkan, Hedo Türkoğlu, and Furkan Korkmaz.

Beyond basketball, Kanter is most known for social media and human rights activism. The Turkish government accused Kanter of financially assisting a failed coup of the Turkish government in 2016. Turkey cancelled Kanter’s passport in 2017, issued a warrant for his arrest and threatened to revoke his citizenship. The Kanter family even publicly disowned Kanter as a result of constant harassment. Kanter refrained from traveling outside of the United States for work for fear of his life after being stranded stateless in Europe in 2017.

Kemba Walker (8) and Enes Kanter (11) were officially introduced as Boston Celtics Wednesday at a press conference. (Image credit: AP)

Culture Clashes on the Court

Enes Kanter’s only family contact is through his younger brother Kerem Kanter. Kerem last played college basketball at Xavier University, and now plays for France’s Pro A League. At the introductory press conference Kanter described his family as happy for him, but insisted his human rights activism took precedence. Imagine working in another country without the support of your family. Imagine not even being able to communicate with them.

Kanter is a devout Muslim and observes Ramadan, a month-long session of prayer and reflection, including fasting. This occurs during the NBA season, a constant source of scrutiny for Kanter during this religious period. This exact scenario nearly played out last season when Kanter was a member of the Portland Trailblazers. When you consider Kanter’s work ethic and dedication to the game, the commitment to his native country and exposing human rights violations, as well as his personal sacrifices, you clearly see the high-quality character Kanter possesses.

Enes Kanter directs kids at his youth basketball camp in West Hempstead, NY after the original camp was cancelled for political reasons. (Image credit: Howard Simmons)

Basketball Provides Platform

Enes Kanter has made it clear he appreciates his position as an NBA player. His stature allows him a voice not provided to many Turkish nationals or expatriates with human rights concerns. He has made several personal and professional sacrifices in his career to allow him to voice those concerns. Kanter can’t do it himself, evidenced by travel restrictions and safety concerns. Politics have even effected Kanter’s free youth basketball camps. The Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, NY cancelled the camp last week after external pressure. Kanter blamed Turkish representatives and the New York Turkish consulate for the cancelled youth camp, a claim those representatives deny.

Thankfully, more sensible heads prevailed. Kanter’s youth camp proceeded at the Island Garden in West Hempstead, NY after the intervention of Congresswoman Kathleen Rice. Kanter has now enlisted the help of over 20 senators and representatives to express his intentions and work with foreign governments to allow and ensure safe travel during games and events, including: Senators Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Representatives Joe Kennedy, Peter King and Rice. Fans, teammates, camp attendees and myriad representatives either know or are beginning to see what Enes Kanter is all about. Now it’s Boston’s turn.

Boston Celtics: Not Plan A, But A-OK

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Danny Ainge: “This Was Plan A.”

The Boston Celtics officially introduced point guard Kemba Walker and center Enes Kanter in a press conference Wednesday. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge called the signings Boston’s “Plan A”. Filling out the roster with an All-NBA player like Walker and one of the most efficient players in the NBA in Kanter is one thing; claiming the moves were Plan A is another. Plan A would suggest the initial plan. It’s widely known the Boston Celtics were hoping to secure Kyrie Irving long-term and then use Irving to lure another marquee free agent, e.g. Anthony Davis, to the Celtics. Boston also pursued other players such as Kevin Durant.

The Boston Celtics declined a trade for Kawhi Leonard that would have shipped Jaylen Brown out of town. That doesn’t mean Boston was holding out for Walker and Kanter. At the very least, Ainge, unlike the Celtics ownership group, came off as disingenuous. It wasn’t Plan A, but what about the plan in general? It’s almost genius, which is probably why Ainge is arrogant enough to claim it was Plan A. The Celtics acquired two veteran leaders at positions of need ranked in the top-30 in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) for $40.1 Million.

Celtics general manager and president Danny Ainge, left, and coach Brad Stevens watch during a preseason workout at the Boston Celtics’ Auerbach Center training facility in Boston, Massachusetts on September 25, 2018. (Staff Photo By Christopher Evans/Boston Herald)

From the Players Themselves

Kemba Walker expressed his sole desire to win as the reason for leaving the Charlotte Hornets . The University of Connecticut star talked of his familiarity with New England and expressed his excitement to learn with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. Walker’s Huskies beat Stevens and Butler University for the 2011 NCAA Championship. Considering point guards success in Stevens’ systems, Walker has reason to be excited. “[Point guards] score a lot”, Walker said as the media chuckled nervously, recalling Walker’s 9^th-ranked usage rate in 2018-2019. Sound familiar? Walker talked about leading by example, and perhaps most impressively, was eager to talk to Jayson Tatum, Brown and Marcus Smart about their playoff experience, displaying a humility in stark contrast to Irving’s. Walker connections to Tatum via Nike, and Brown through the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, were crucial in signing the All-NBA point guard.

“I want to be the reason nobody else wears number 11”, Enes Kanter quipped in reference to Kyrie Irving, drawing laughs. Kanter spoke about the difficulties he had playing in Boston and relished at the opportunity to play for Boston. A phone call from Walker helped sealed the deal with Kanter, a call that apparently came from Ainge’s phone. Kanter stressed the player-coach relationship and saw Stevens as the perfect fit, while Stevens lauded Kanter’s post abilities, efficiency, passing and leadership skills. Kanter also talked about the difficulties of his personal life, and downplayed concerns regarding travel to Canada. Kanter’s sacrifices and fight for democracy in Turkey make for the high character veteran leader this young Celtics team so desperately needs.

Kemba Walker (8) and Enes Kanter (11) were officially introduced as Boston Celtics Wednesday at a press conference. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

Take Home Message

The Boston Celtics plan, the real Plan A, clearly didn’t work out. Irving is on the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant, and Davis is on the Los Angeles Lakers. One could argue Plan B didn’t work either considering Al Horford is a Philadelphia 76er. But that doesn’t mean the Celtics ended up with Plan C; quite the opposite, actually. No, Boston ended up with the best fit. As Ainge eventually admitted, the Celtics jumping at the first opportunity to sign Walker and Kanter was the best option with the remaining resources.

Walker is a local hero back home in the Northeast set to become the leader the Boston Celtics need. Kanter’s contract is probably one of the best values in the NBA, and he will largely replace the void left when Boston lost their entire veteran inside presence. The question now becomes whether Stevens can get Walker to be more of a distributor and Kanter more of a defender. History tells us Stevens will figure it out.

Boston Celtics Sign First Round Draft Picks

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First Round Picks Signed

The Boston Celtics signed their first-round draft picks from the 2019 NBA draft this week. Romeo Langford, the 14^th pick, and Grant Williams, the 22^nd pick, are now officially Celtics. Langford, a shooting guard/small forward from Indiana University, will make nearly $7.1 Million (M) guaranteed over his first two years. The Celtics have a player option for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 worth $3.8M and $5.6M, respectively. Langford’s $3.5M salary in 2019-2020 will be approximately 120% of the rookie wage scale. The Celtics have a qualifying offer of $7.8M in 2023-2024 when Langford becomes a restricted free agent. That qualifying offer would constitute a $16.9M cap hit.

Williams, a power forward from the University of Tennessee, listed as a small forward on the Celtics roster, will make nearly $5M guaranteed over his first two years. The Celtics have a player option for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 worth $2.6M and $4.3M, respectively. Just like Langford, Williams’ $2.4M salary in 2019-2020 will be approximately 120% of the rookie wage scale. The Celtics have a qualifying offer of $6.2M in 2023-2024 when Williams becomes a restricted free agent. That qualifying offer would constitute a $12.9M cap hit.

Grant Williams (40) of the Boston Celtics brings the ball up the court against Brandon Clarke (15) of the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Celtics defeated the Grizzlies 113-87. (Photo via Getty Images)

Other Notable Transactions

The Boston Celtics waived Guerschon Yabusele this week after picking up his $3.1M option last season. The word on the court was Yabusele’s development was not up to pace with the team’s desires. Boston signed Enes Kanter, Daniel Theis, Tacko Fall, and Vincent Poirier in addition to guaranteeing Semi Ojeyele’s contract this month, making Yabusele obsolete. Unfortunately, Yabusele’s $3.1M is dead money and counts against the Celtics 2019-2020 salary cap.

The Boston Celtics also signed rookie point guard Carsen Edwards to a three-year $4.5M contract. Edwards was the 33^rd pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Practically a first-round pick himself, Edwards shined in the NBA Summer League, becoming a fan favorite. The point guard position was once a source of panic for Celtics fans. Edwards becomes the Celtics fourth point guard and the third point guard signed this month (Brad Wannamaker ; Kemba Walker).

Kemba Walker brings more star power and a veteran point guard presence to the young core of Boston Celtics scorers.

Putting the Pieces Together

Not more than a month ago Celtics fans wondered about the direction of the team. After Kyrie Irving and Al Horford declined their lucrative player options things looked grim. The Celtics then landed another max contract player in Walker, for whatever that’s worth considering Hayward’s status, and things began to look up. The signing of Kanter provided a much-needed veteran inside presence after the departure of Horford. The signing of Tacko Fall provides the giant splash of potential we missed out on in the draft. The 7’7” center being on an Exhibit-10 contract seems apropos if not ironically insensitive.

The Boston Celtics went from a possible dynasty to a rebuilding project in a matter of months. Dreams of Kyrie Irving throwing it up to Anthony Davis turned to valid questions. Would the Celtics even be able to convince Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to stay? Now Boston trots out a likely lineup of Walker, Hayward, Tatum, Theis and Kanter, with Marcus Smart and Brown coming off the bench. The Celtics now have depth at every position, albeit young depth. Who’s better equipped to deal with young players – these Celtics average 24.2 years old – than Brad Stevens and this revamped Celtics coaching staff? The last time Stevens had to make the best of a young team the Celtics were seven minutes from making the NBA Finals. The way things are lining up, Boston could be back there this coming season.

Should the Boston Celtics Sign De’Angelo Russell?

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The Need at Point Guard

The Boston Celtics are moving on from Kyrie Irving. To put it more accurately, Irving is moving on from the Celtics. This means the Celtics enter the 2019-2020 season with one point guard (pg) on their roster: Marcus Smart. Terry Rozier has a $4.3 million (M) qualifying offer, but a cap hit of $9M, which means he’ll be restructured if he comes back at all. The Celtics clearly need another PG, which has been discussed here.

What are the Boston Celtics options? The is a lot of potential in tonight’s draft. The question is: Do the Celtics really want to pair a rookie PG with their young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Even drafting a generational talent such as Ja Morant, an almost impossible scenario, would not solve the Celtics immediate issues. It was reported today the Celtics are shopping Aaron Baynes’ $5.4M contract. If the Celtics lose Baynes their team averages 23.5 years old; even with Baynes the team averages 24.7 years old. The Celtics need a young, veteran point guard to help lead the other young Celtics to the next level.

The future of the Boston Celtics is clearly in the hands of Jayson Tatum (*Left*) and Jaylen Brown (*Right*).

Put Snapchat in the Past

One qualifying player that immediately comes to mind is De’Angelo Russell. I’ve written about the possibilities of signing Russell, but questioned his maturity. It could be argued those issues were put to rest after this last season with the Brooklyn Nets, on which Russell was an All-Star and led Brooklyn to the playoffs. The 2016-2017 All-Rookie member averaged 21.7 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 7 assists per game in 2018-2019, on shooting splits of 43.4/36.9/78.0. Russell’s PER was 19.4, ranking 7^th among PGs, and 37^th in the NBA.

The 23-year old 6’5” PG could be the perfect fit in Boston. The 2^nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft would also be a nice prize from a draft in which the Celtics essentially only managed to draft Rozier. Russell has the skill set, the demeanor, and now the experience, both in the playoffs and living up to his original hype. People will point to Russell’s Snapchat blunder, which ultimately cost him his spot with the Los Angeles Lakers. I point to alternate perspectives. The Snapchat “victim” was Swaggy P, a.k.a. Nick Young. Young, although older, is arguably more immature than Russell. Consider: Russell was outing Young for cheating on – and bragging about cheating on – his longtime girlfriend. Forget “bro code” in 2019, who’s the immature one in this scenario? I rest my case.

https://twitter.com/CelticsExtra/status/1141148229486153728

Desperate Times

They say desperate times call for desperate measures. The Boston Celtics have now lost Irving and reportedly could lose Al Horford. When a city mourns the potential lose of Horford and his $30.1M cap hit you know there’s a serious problem. That problem is veteran bodies to pair with a handful of young budding stars.

De’Angelo Russell barely qualifies as that veteran, but he does. Picture pairing All-Rookie members from 2014-2017 and that’s what you’d have with the Boston Celtics (Smart; Russell; Brown; Tatum). Marcus Smart, the heart of the team, was also a member of the 2017-2018 All-Defensive team. Add two-time All-Star Gordon Hayward, who should continue to get back to form, and things don’t look so bad. The Boston Celtics might be entering desperate times, but signing De’Angelo Russell is no desperation move. It’s the right move, and a move that could keep the Celtics competitive in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Which NBA teams should Celtics fans keep an eye on?

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The Boston Celtics will be must-see TV with superstars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning. It will be important for Celtics fans to pay attention to other NBA teams as well because they will determine the placement of Boston’s draft picks at the end of the year.

In order to make mid-first-round draft picks sound exciting, the following is a list of notable Boston Celtics first-round draft selections outside of the lottery: Terry Rozier (No. 16 – 2015), Avery Bradley (No. 19 – 2010), Gerald Green (No. 18 – 2007), Al Jefferson (No. 15 – 2004), Rick Fox (No. 24 – 1991), Reggie Lewis (No. 22 – 1987)

Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Conley (11) of the Memphis Grizzlies flexes during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo from TheCommercialAppeal.com)

In 2015, the Celtics, Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans orchestrated a three-team trade sending forward Jeff Green from Boston to Memphis in exchange for Austin Rivers, Tayshaun Prince, and a protected future first-round pick. Rivers would eventually be traded to the Clippers for a second-round pick. Prince went to the Pistons in a three-team deal involving Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics still hold the Grizzlies’ draft pick, which will be protected if it falls in between No. 1 and No. 8 in 2019 or No. 1 and No. 6 in 2020, and will be unprotected in 2021.

Last season, Memphis finished 14^th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record. With the return of Mike Conley from injury, as well as the emergence of former Celtic MarShon Brooks, the Grizzlies may improve. If that is the case, the Celtics may get their hands on a draft pick in the back half of the lottery. Although if the Grizzlies are to struggle, it may be another season or two until the Celtics see any further return on Jeff Green.

Los Angeles Clippers

During the 2016 NBA Draft, the Celtics traded picks 31 (Deyonta Davis) and 35 (Rade Zagorac) to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future 2019 first-round pick from the Clippers. Boston still owns the Clippers pick, which is lottery protected in both 2019 and 2020. If Los Angeles has not conveyed the pick by then, they will instead convey a 2022 second-round selection.

With the Clippers returning to mediocrity, it seems unlikely the Celtics will receive compensation any time soon. Last season, the Clippers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010-11. With the departures of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, not one of their remaining players has ever appeared in an All-Star game.

When the Clippers inevitably struggle, it will be detrimental for Boston. Their best-case scenario would be to receive a first-round pick outside of the lottery. Celtics fans should be rooting for Doc Rivers once more, because the more the Clipper lose, the longer the Celtics will have to wait for a return.

Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) dribbles up court during an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge made a bold, but brilliant trade, moving the No. 1 draft pick (Markelle Fultz) to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 3 overall pick (Jayson Tatum) and a future first-round pick in 2018 from the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston would only receive the Lakers pick if it was between No. 2 and No. 5, which it was not, however. So, Philadelphia will send Boston the better of their own or the Sacramento Kings 2019 first-round picks.

Celtics fans should not expect to receive the 76ers pick, as they finished third in the Eastern Conference last season and have two of the NBA’s brightest young talents in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Rather, Celtic’s fans should expect to receive the Kings pick, as they are clearly the inferior team, finishing 12^th in the Western Conference last season. It will be important to keep an eye on De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings, as they could have a dreadful season, which would drastically assist Boston come draft day.

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