Kemba Walker is looking better and better by the day.
Don't expect to see him playing more, however.
Walker and the Boston Celtics have been taking the cautious approach as he works through some lingering knee issues. He's been feeling healthy, but that hasn't prompted the Celtics to start sharply elevating his minutes.
In Friday's win over the Atlanta Hawks, he played a season high 33:34, much more than the 25 minutes he was averaging the first seven games he played this season after missing the start of the campaign.
Even if he's looking healthy though, the Celtics' plan is to play the long game -- which includes sitting him one game of a back-to-back and limiting his minutes when he is playing.
"If they (Hawks) come back and send that game into overtime, I probably pull him and we probably don’t finish with him,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens admitted after Friday's game, via Boston.com. “I know this sounds crazy, but that extra night off, there’s a reason he looks fresher, right? It just helped.”
For Walker, he's content with the plan, as well.
“I’m good,” Walker said. “I’m just trying to stay healthy. That’s it.”
The Celtics next play Sunday, then have another back-to-back Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sounds like we know how they'll approach playing Walker.
