You are not a fan of Kris Humphries. We get it, and it’s OK.
Exactly why Humphries has become the target of such derision is a little foggy. All he did was marry an attractive, rich girl who happened to have TV show. Some might call that attention-seeking. Others might call it smart. Either way, that phase of Humphries’ life is over now. He is a member of the Boston Celtics, even if he is not a particularly popular one.
Almost as soon as news of the trade that would eventually send Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to Brooklyn leaked out on the night of the NBA draft, Celtics fans began clamoring on social media for their team to get rid of Humphries as soon as possible. Humphries did nothing for his popularity in Boston when he got into a skirmish with Rajon Rondo last season, although he probably got the worst of it when Rondo shoved him into the crowd. If Humphries never plays a game in green, a sizable portion of the fan base will not shed a tear.
(Celtics fans who pretend that episode is the reason they dislike Humphries are inventing some revisionist history, though. The TD Garden crowd booed Humphries heartily well before that incident happened, including when he was introduced during that game.)
Moving Humphries would not be impossible. Despite being deficient as a scorer and defender, he has been a fairly effective rebounder for most of his career. His playing time decreased last season as he lost the trust of coaches Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo, but he still mustered 11.0 rebounds per 36 minutes and managed to grab 18.1 percent of all available rebounds while he was on the court, dead-even with his career rate. For context, Humphries’ rebounding rate was only a little more than a percentage point less than standout glass-cleaners like Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan.
With $12 million due to him this season, Humphries would eat up a disproportionate amount of space on the Celtics’ payroll. On one hand, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would love to move Humphries, get the Celtics below the luxury tax line and avoid being in line to pay any “repeater” penalties that kick in next year. On the other hand, Humphries’ deal expires at the end of the season, and there is some value in holding onto a $12 million contract Ainge knows is coming off the books next July.
For fans, getting rid of Humphries might be an easy choice. For Ainge, getting rid of Humphries is a more nuanced business decision. Which way should Ainge go? Vote in the poll below.
To kick off the official start of the NBA offseason, NESN.com will ask fans whether they think the Celtics should keep or move on from each player. The following day, we will provide the fans’ verdict. Here is the schedule*:
Thursday, July 11: Avery Bradley (Verdict: Keep him, 88 percent)
Friday, July 12: Brandon Bass (Verdict: Keep him, 59 percent)
Monday, July 15: Rajon Rondo (Verdict: Keep him, 67 percent)
Tuesday, July 16: Courtney Lee (Verdict: Move on, 52 percent)
Wednesday, July 17: Shavlik Randolph (Verdict: Keep him, 60 percent)
Thursday, July 18: Jeff Green (Verdict: Keep him, 92 percent)
Friday, July 19: Gerald Wallace (Verdict: Keep him, 51 percent)
Monday, July 22: Kris Humphries
Tuesday, July 23: Keith Bogans
Wednesday, July 24: Fab Melo
Thursday, July 25: Jared Sullinger
Friday, July 26: Kris Joseph
Monday, July 29: MarShon Brooks
Tuesday, July 30: Jordan Crawford
Wednesday, July 31: D.J. White Phil Pressey
Thursday, Aug. 1: Colton Iverson
Friday, Aug 2: Kelly Olynyk
*Subject to change pending any moves
