Enes Kanter offered a glowing scouting report about a couple of teammates as Boston Celtics players slowly ramp up activities before next month’s season relaunch.
Kanter singled out center Daniel Theis as the player who has "amazed" him most as Celtics players engage in voluntary, individual workouts at the Auerbach Center, while also noting that All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has “lost nothing.”
Celtics players have been able to access the practice facility since early June and, despite some social-distancing limitations, Kanter offered positive feedback about what he’s seen inside the gym.
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“The last time I saw Theis, he was in good shape. He’s in really good shape and, now, I saw Theis and I'm like, “Dude, what did you do?” He actually looks way better than when we [the season paused in March],” gushed Kanter on The Enes Kanter Show podcast. “His body, his workouts — I’ve seen how he’s moving. I was like, ‘Dude this is crazy.’ He looks in really good shape. That’s the one guy that’s really amazed me the most, definitely Theis.”
Kanter posted a video to his social media this week showing Theis soaring to catch a lob off the glass while throwing down a two-handed dunk over a coach with a blocking pad while dubbing him, “The German Tiger.”
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After a report this week suggested that Tatum might be hesitant to enter the Disney bubble due to potential injury risks when he’ll soon be eligible to sign a maximum salary rookie extension, Kanter said that Tatum looks ready to pick up where he left off after a a torrid two-month stretch before the 2019-20 season paused.
"Jayson Tatum, it looks like he lost nothing. He didn’t lose his touch, he’s still making some crazy shots,” said Kanter. “He’s got that Trae Young haircut now. No, he’s good, man. Having fun, getting better. He looks really good to me. … I’m excited to see what he’s going to do out there.”
Kanter has posted small glimpses of his workouts on social media, including some make-heavy shooting drills and a lot of conditioning work. He admitted he gained 19 pounds during quarantine but said he’s already lost nine of those since getting back on the court.
“Mostly, it’s a lot of skill work, a lot of conditioning work,” said Kanter. "I’m trying to get my touch back, my feeling back. Mostly it’s just running, a lot of conditioning. … I haven’t thrown up yet. But the workouts are tough."