Celtics Player Review: Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins played his first full season as starting center in the 2006-07 season, starting 53 games of one of the worst seasons in Celtics history. In just one season, Perkins was apart of the NBA Champion 2007-08 Celtics after the team was revamped by the additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

With the help of KG in the middle, Perkins really had a standout year and became a force to be reckoned with under the basket.

Regular Season

Perkins benefited from more minutes in 2007-08 and turned in his best year statistically. He finished the season with 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and led the Celtics in blocks with 1.5 per game.

Despite the good stats, Perk turned the ball over more than he should have because he had a tendency to dribble under the basket before going up with a shot.

Playoffs

During the playoffs, he erased his bad habit of dribbling under the basket and became much more effective. Perkins averaged 6.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

He came up huge in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 9.3 points and 9.2 rebounds against a Pistons team that lacked significant size in the middle (they could’ve used Ben Wallace).

Future Outlook

Perkins should continue his development as a solid NBA center next season. He has the skills and size to become a dominant force under the basket, but he just needs to gain confidence and sharpen his focus in order to achieve greater things.

He is still young and has much to prove in the league. As long as he can go all season without any injuries, he should turn in another career year.

Tags: Celtics, Doc Rivers, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett

© 2008 Sports of Boston, LLC.