The New York Knicks knew there would be some risk involved when they signed former NBA All-Star Kemba Walker to be their starting point guard. It was a great homecoming story and people hoped that it would work, but things didn’t pan out as hoped.
Walker was removed from the starting lineup and rotation 20 games into the season. The Knicks went 10-8 in the games that he started but were looking for a spark to help get the team going, especially on the defensive end, and Walker was the sacrificial lamb.
The lineup change has not worked, as the Knicks are 1-8 since they announced that Walker would no longer be in the rotation. The same issues that were present with Walker on the floor are still there now.
Everyone knew that he wasn’t the sole issue for New York, but he was the one that was sacrificed for a change to be made. He did not pout about the decision and can be seen cheering on his teammates as loudly as anyone else on the sideline. While it likely kills him to be on the sidelined, as he likely has never been in a position like this in his basketball career, he has taken it in stride and remained the consummate professional.
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He has not played a second on the court since the decision despite the Knicks having numerous players sidelined because of the league’s health and safety protocols. Many people thought that he could be on the move via trade, but it sounds as if he will be remaining in New York for the time being.
“There is no interest league-wide in taking on Kemba Walker according to multiple sources. Walker was benched to try and kickstart the Knicks, a move that has failed, but the league consensus is that Walker’s knees represent too much of a risk even if his play with New York and Boston was more about situation.”
Walker has a degenerative knee condition which started to hold him back during his time with the Boston Celtics. It didn’t seem to be as much of an issue with the New York Knicks, as he sat out only two games, both of which were the second night of a back-to-back set.
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But, the knee ailment has sapped him of a lot of the quickness and explosiveness that he used to have to blow by defenders. He isn’t as successful getting into the paint as he once was, but he can certainly still shoot the ball, knocking down a career-high 41.3 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.
When it gets closer to the NBA trade deadline, it would not be surprising to see a contending team that needs a little scoring punch off the bench to inquire about Kemba Walker. He is on a modest contract and it most likely wouldn’t cost too much in the way of assets to acquire him.
