(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA championship just two months ago, and now the challenge for them is to repeat as world champions and possibly even start a mini-dynasty.
Some believe they’re well-equipped to do so given how young their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is, but others point to their weak bench and the advanced age of starting point guard Jrue Holiday and backup center Al Horford as reasons why the team won’t win it all again.
On Wednesday, the Celtics brought in another young guard when they agreed to a one-year contract with Lonnie Walker IV, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent G Lonnie Walker IV has agreed on a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics, his agent George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN. Walker IV averaged 9.7 points and shot 38% on three-pointers in 58 games for Brooklyn last season. pic.twitter.com/uAvrtsIQkD
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 29, 2024
Walker is the type of player who can give Boston some much-needed pop off the bench, as he’s a proven scorer and 3-point shooter.
Last season, he averaged 9.7 points in 17.4 minutes a game while shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, and for his six-year career, he has averaged 9.8 points in 20.3 minutes a game.
The Celtics didn’t really have a player who could come in off the bench and create offense himself, especially off the dribble, but now, Walker will give them an option to go to.
Their bench was actually one of the worst in the entire NBA — this past season, they were just 26th in bench points per game, and with center Kristaps Porziņģis set to miss the first several weeks of the 2024-25 campaign, they will certainly need help from their reserves.
The Eastern Conference has geared up to topple the Celtics, particularly the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, and thus they will have to raise their game in order to raise a 19th championship banner.
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