The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the defending champions the Boston Celtics 105-92. A huge credit goes to Oklahoma City’s incredible defense in the second half as they restricted the hosts to just 27 points. Well, was it the Thunder’s great defense or the Celtics’ poor offense? According to the Celts faithful, the latter was the cause of this embarrassing defeat.
They took to social media to show their frustration on the matter. An X user pointed out the lack of output from Boston’s bench, as key rotational players such as Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard all had a game to forget on the night. Furthermore, veteran center Horford only managed to net six points while shooting 2 out of his 6 attempts in 25 minutes of play. “Horford has been playing against us this season.” That is what a fan thought of the veteran’s performances this season.
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At the same time, Kornet scored a measly four points and Hauser just three. Whereas Pritchard didn’t even score a single point in eleven minutes! The tweet further wrote, “I know someone who could have helped…” suggesting Boston should have made trades to keep the bench competitive with video highlights of a player Celtics fans would be aware of- Lonnie Walker IV.
The 26-year-old shooting guard whom the Celtics reportedly signed on a one-year contract earlier this year. However, he was soon waived. Walker has been making waves as of late with his stellar performances in Europe for his new team, Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. So much so, that many NBA teams, including Boston, are eyeing the former Nets guard. This sparked a series of responses online, and the fans have some interesting opinions about it. Let’s see what they have to say.
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Celtics fans call for Lonnie Walker IV’s return to help with their rotation struggles
The game against Oklahoma although didn’t have much at stake at the moment, provided a litmus test for the reigning champs. It further revealed that Boston should look to freshen up things to keep their bench competitive in this ever-changing NBA landscape. “Helped,” “I thought yall had a super team???” is what a user thought, as he called out the Celtics for not trading in some fresh faces.
While another follower couldn’t believe Boston let go of a player of Lonnie Walker IV’s caliber as he stated, “Genuinely can’t believe he got waived”. Walker last played in the NBA in the 2023-24 season where he managed to average 9.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 58 games for the Nets. That’s great given he came off the bench in all the games and saw 17.4 minutes of average game time.
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One fan even noted that Walker is the exact piece this Celtics side is missing at the moment as he suggested, “We literally are missing Lonnie, that was the one off-season move I felt we needed”. He wrote about how he felt Lonnie Walker should have been made a part of the squad this off-season. Well, you cannot impress everyone, right? That is exactly what happened as not all fans supported the trade idea.
A user wrote, “Who do you think Lonnie Walker is“. Well, that is also a side of the argument. If stars like Derrick White and Jrue Holiday had an off night, could Walker have made a difference? Well, we cannot be entirely sure. Although no one can surely say that the Celtics would be a much different team with Lonnie Walker IV, he definitely could provide a helping hand. However, will Boston make a move for the 26-year-old or not remains to be seen.
“Playing Against Us”: Al Horford Divides Opinion After Celtics Loss as Boston Calls for 26YO Guard’s Return
