Brad Stevens Jokes That Kemba Walker Looks Great After Point Guard Ran By His Zoom Interview
BOSTON (CBS) -- Kemba Walker's knee has been the biggest story surrounding the Celtics down in the NBA's bubble in Orlando. It will probably be a cause for some varying degree of concern throughout the restarted season, but at least head coach Brad Stevens is comfortable enough to have some fun with the ailment.
Following Monday's practice, Stevens had a fun moment with reporters when asked about the health of his team. Walker just so happened to be running by the coach during the Zoom interview, and Stevens used that to give a little scouting report on his point guard.
"Kemba just flew by us to go to the bathroom. We all saw his change in direction and different speeds. He hasn't lost much," said Stevens. "He really had to move -- I don't know if that was in his practice plan or not, but he was flying. Kemba is getting better and feeling good."
The Brad Stevens Comedy Hour, ladies and gentlemen! While fans may be concerned about Walker's knee, the Celtics don't appear to be too concerned -- or at least they're not voicing that concern in public.
Walker isn't practicing on back-to-back days at the moment. His left knee was an issue before the season was put on pause, dating back to January, and caused Walker to miss 10 games. The team was planning on getting the 30-year-old as much rest as possible during the final stretch of the regular season until the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season for four months.
Walker experienced some discomfort after getting back to work in Orlando, forcing the C's to again come up with a plan for the All-Star point guard. While the injury is certainly a bit worrisome from the outside, Stevens and the Celtics have maintained their confidence that Walker will be able to handle the rigors of the playoffs when the time comes.
Stevens said that other than Walker's knee, the Celtics are a healthy bunch. The only other injury the team is dealing with is Tremont Waters' concussion, which the rookie suffered a few days ago, according to Stevens. Waters is in the latter stages of the NBA's concussion protocol, but has not yet been cleared.
Waters and fellow two-way players Tacko Fall are both listed on Boston's postseason roster in Orlando. Normally, two-way players would have to sign an NBA contract to participate, but the league has expanded rosters to 17 players amid the pandemic.
Boston's first game of the NBA restart is Friday, July 31 against the Milwaukee Bucks.