Kris Humphries’ time with the Boston Celtics only lasted one season, as he signed a three-year, $13 million deal with the Washington Wizards in July.
Humphries played in 69 games last season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the floor. He was one of the few pleasant surprises on a team that went 25-57, and he says that his performance had a lot to do with head coach Brad Stevens.
Humphries had high praise for Stevens on Wednesday, explaining that he improved greatly under the first-year coach.
“I talked to Brad all the time, and it’s just one of those things where, ‘’Man, you got me a lot better,'” Humphries said on a conference call, via The Washington Post. “Handling the ball, making plays, things like that. Shooting. I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep playing in a lot of situations like the one I was in.”
Humphries, along with former Celtics captain Paul Pierce, will now join a Washington team that finished fifth in the Eastern Conference a season ago.
The 29-year-old forward feels that the chance to compete with the Wizards is too good to pass up.
“When you’re on a team like (Washington), which I feel blessed to be in this situation, everything you do is important and you feel important,” Humphries said. “Whatever you do on a winning team is magnified. You feel better doing stuff when you’re working towards something.”
Humphries likely will come off the bench next season for the Wizards, who already have Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario down low.
