Post by Ian Noble on Apr 10, 2014 13:47:58 GMT
C - Enes Kanter
Drafted: 2011 1st round (3rd pick) by the Utah Jazz
Joined: May 16th, 2012 from the Utah Jazz (trade thread)
Departed: Feb 25th, 2018 to the Miami Heat (trade thread)
Accolades:1 x D5 Champion (2012)
2011/12 - Only two games into his career Kanter was traded to the Celtics and saw significant minutes during his rookie season alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston's frontcourt. Kanter won an NBA Championship in his first season as a starting Center for the Celtics.
2012/13 - With the off season signing of Brandon Bass, who played starting Power Forward, and the moving of Kevin Garnett to Center, Kanter was utilised as a 6th man during his sophomore season but continued to log steady minutes as Boston's primary contributor off the bench.
2013/14 - The trading of Garnett and Pierce from the Celtics to end the 12/13 season saw the beginning of Boston's rebuild. Kanter was moved back to starting Center as the Celtics continued to jettison veterans Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass and Ray Allen. Kanter and rookie Power Forward, Anthony Bennett, started in most games for the Celtics.
2014/15 - Kanter continued his role as the Celtics starting center going into his 4th season and saw a rating increase from 74 to 78 due to his continued improvement with the Utah Jazz, and his new team the Oklahoma City Thunder, in real life. The Celtics drafted another center, Joel Embiid, with the 3rd pick of the 2014 draft but Kanter's minutes were not challenged due to a season-long injury which sidelined Embiid.
2015/16 - Kanter continued his performance as a paragon of continuity in Boston into his fifth professional season, once again playing in all 82 games and this time starting in every single one. Kanter filled it up in the frontcourt for the Celtics averaging nearly 18.0/9.6 alongside newly acquired sophomore standout Jabari Parker. In the off season Kanter re-signed with the Celtics to a six year $186 million deal, at the time the largest contract ever signed at D5.
2016/17 - Enes's offensive orientated game was complimented perfectly in the Celtics frontcourt by the stellar defensive presence of rookie standout Joel Embiid. Despite yet another ratings increase from 78 to 81 Kanter was sandwiched in between two emerging stars in Embiid and Jabari Parker, Kanter's stats dropped back down to 14ppg and 8rpg up until December 19th when he fractured his forearm in real life punching a seat in anger! However whilst Kanter was sidelined Embiid and Parker were also ruled out for the remainder of the year and Kanter returned to lead the Celtics in the second half of the season, averaging an incredible 26.7ppg in his last 42 games and finishing 26th in the league in scoring!
2017/18 - Departing the Thunder IRL, Kanter joined the Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony trade of 2017 where he started most games alongside Kristaps Porzingis, continuing his stable play and even being praised for his defensive skills for the first time in his career. For the D5 Celtics Kanter and Joel Embiid formed a formidable frontcourt duo as Boston pushed for the playoffs for the first time since The Rebuild began in 2013, with Enes Kanter being the one solid constant throughout all those years.
2017/18 - Departure via Trade - After seven seasons as a Celtic, Enes was traded to Miami for veteran big-man Dwight Howard on the 25th February 2018. In the early days of 2018 Dynasty Five was quickly becoming aware of the shrinking hard cap it had imposed upon itself two seasons before, all whilst Kanter possessed possibly the most inflated contract in the league! At the time it was signed Kanter's contract ranked as the highest in D5 history ($185,952,201), whilst Kanter ranked joint-98th in overall rating at 78. At the time of his trade Kanter's contract still ranked in the top 5 largest deals and at 81 overall ranked joint-61st in rating. With this in mind the Celtics moved to give themselves salary flexibility by taking on the expiring Howard.
Enes Kanter departed Boston as the longest serving D5 Celtic, the last link back to the championship squad on which he was a starter as a rookie back in 2012. Through the contending years and the subsequent rebuild Kanter's presence was one of the utmost continuity and ever-growing production and work ethic. Joining the Celtics at age 19, now leaving at 25, Enes's gritty work down low each year made him a fan favourite even through all the long dark years of the Celtics rebuild.
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