CHARLOTTE – Enes Kanter is the most underrated signing of the NBA offseason.
Simply put, the man is ballin.
Kanter signed a two-year deal with the Celtics this offseason and has gone on to serve as one of the team’s most important role players. His 14-rebound, 13-point, six-block performance Tuesday night marked his third double-double of the season, all of which have been logged as a reserve. It stands as the latest evidence of his quiet dominance in that role.
Kanter was arguably the team’s most important player during its 109-92 win over the Hornets. He was a dominant force during the second half while logging eight of his 13 points, 10 of his game-high 14 rebounds, and five of his career-high six blocks.
The all-around performance, which featured some of his best interior defense to date, prompted his teammates to call him “Stop Sign” after the game, and it prompted him to make a bold proclamation about himself.
“Just give me the MVP, baby!” he said with a big smile on his face.
Kanter obviously made that comment out of self-jest, but his performance all season long has been no laughing matter. He has been nothing short of great for Boston within the role that Brad Stevens has assigned to him.
That role is to be a great teammate, to come off of the bench, to dominate the glass, to score efficiently around the basket, and to be respectable on defense. He has not only accepted that assignment, but he has excelled within it.
“He’s just embracing his role,” said teammate Kemba Walker. “Whenever he comes in, he brings immediate energy. He brings toughness. Just veteran leadership off the bench.”
Kanter has made it clear that he doesn’t care if he starts or if he comes off of the bench. He just wants to win, which was the motivating factor behind him signing with the Celtics. He’s helping his teammates do just that by consistently logging gaudy numbers as a reserve.
Kanter has now scored in double-figures during 11 of the 24 games in which he has appeared, and he’s grabbed double-digit rebounds during six of those 24 contests. The man leads the team in rebounding average at 7.8 despite playing an average of only 17.7 minutes of playing time per game, for goodness sake.
That’s utterly ridiculous.
Stevens said Tuesday night that Kanter is “an awfully good rebounder,” but ‘awfully good’ actually sells Kanter short. He is a great rebounder.
The big man has ranked in the top five in terms of offensive rebounding percentage for six consecutive seasons, including the current campaign. This season, he leads all qualified players in that category, with a rebounding percentage of 15.6.
That’s a career-best rate for a guy who’s been one of the league’s best rebounders over the last decade. Think about that.
Kanter’s offensive rebounding was again crucial to Boston’s win Tuesday night over the Hornets. At the start of the fourth quarter, he scored off of two offensive boards within a span of 29 seconds that pushed Boston’s lead out to 11 points and ignited the team’s run toward a convincing victory. He played 10 minutes of the fourth quarter because he was carrying the team.
Kanter loved every second of that opportunity, as he has all season. He enjoys playing a critical role in Boston’s wins, and he enjoys the impact his offensive rebounding can make on his teammates.
“That’s been my job my whole career,” he said of crashing the offensive glass. “I always try to give my teammates a lot of confidence. When I’m out there I say, ‘Hey, shoot the ball. If you miss, I promise I’m going to go get that offensive rebound.’”
Walker, for one, loves hearing that message from his big man.
“We all love shooting, so we’re gonna keep shooting, and he’s gonna try his best to get those offensive rebounds” Walker said with a smile after the game, “That’s the kind of guy he is, man. You have to love bigs like that.”
It’s hard not to love everything that Kanter has brought to the Celtics this season. He has been a perfect teammate and has been excellent within the role that has been assigned to him.
Find another player who signed a moderate contract this offseason, who is making a more significant impact on his team than Kanter is with the Celtics, and who is receiving next to no national attention.
We’ll wait.
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