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NEW YORK -- When you think about the basketball arc Kemba Walker has been on since coming into the NBA, he strikes you as a take-charge kind of guy.
He was all that and then some, literally, in Boston’s 112-106 win over Toronto on Friday.
And he’s looking to pick up right where he left off Saturday night as the Celtics close out their first set of back-to-back games as they face the New York Knicks tonight.
Walker began the season in a major shooting funk, only to remind us all of his scoring prowess with 11 of his 22 points coming in the fourth-quarter comeback win.
As important as Walker’s scoring was to the win, he also showcased a knack for drawing charges.
He was credited with drawing four in against Toronto, an unusually high number in one game even for him.
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But Celtics fans might want to get used to seeing their playmaker plowed down from time to time in the lane going forward.
Because just like Walker’s scoring ranks among the better players in the NBA, the same is true for him drawing charges.
In the past three seasons, Walker has ranked no worse than fourth in the NBA in charges drawn. That includes leading all NBA guards in that category two of the past three seasons.
It’s still early, but he is currently tied for the league lead in the category with Milwaukee’s Ersan Ilyasova, who like Walker has been among the NBA’s leaders in this category in recent years.
“That’s my guy. Been watching him [Walker] since sixth grade,” said Boston rookie Grant Williams, who grew up in Charlotte, N.C., during Walker’s eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
“He’s a competitor; he wants to win and he’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Williams said. “That’s what you really respect about him. He lays is body out there on the line, plus taking charges against these big guys in the league. To take that many, that motor, that competitiveness comes out.”
Walker was admittedly struggling with his shot through the first six quarters of his time as a Celtic.
And with the Raptors game seemingly up for grabs in the second half, Walker wasn’t so much concerned about scoring as he was being a positive force in some fashion out there.
As it turned out, it was his ability to draw charges that proved to be just what he needed to jump-start his offense, which featured him scoring 18 of his 22 points in the second half.
“Try to do anything I can to just try and help the team,” Walker said. “That’s what I was trying to do. Yeah, it [drawing charges] kind of helped me.”
While seeing Walker take so many charges came as a surprise to many, Celtics coach Brad Stevens recognized that as one of his strengths years ago.
And with Team USA this summer, Walker’s ability to draw timely charges was on display for the world to see as well.
“When the US beat Turkey in that overtime game, he took two charges in overtime and they were as big as any of the shots he hit,” Stevens said. “He’s just always been a guy willing to put his body on the line to win.”
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