When the New York Knicks agreed to a deal to bring Kemba Walker home during the NBA offseason, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the move. Walker, who grew up and attended high school in the Bronx before attending Connecticut for college, was returning to Madison Square Garden, a place he has put on masterful performances since he was in grade school.
Unfortunately, all of the positive vibes from the move quickly wore off. While Walker had some good showings in the early going of the season and showed he can still knock down some 3-pointers, injuries to his knees had taken a toll.
The explosiveness and quickness on which his game was predicated, were not as impactful. 20 games into the season, Walker was removed from the rotation. He would be re-inserted a few weeks later once COVID-19 and injuries hit the Knicks and had a few big games.
However, the same issues persisted as Walker’s shortcomings on defense were just too much to overcome. With the Knicks’ hopes of making a playoff run dwindling, the team has decided to make a change.
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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Walker and the Knicks have agreed that he will be sidelined for the duration of the season.
“The New York Knicks and guard Kemba Walker have agreed that the four-time All-Star will be sidelined for the remainder of the team’s schedule, allowing him to work out in preparation for the 2022-23 season, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.”
The New York Knicks’ PR account on Twitter also released a statement from team president Leon Rose. The team supports his decision to sit out the remainder of the 2021-22 season to prepare for the 2022-23 season. Walker’s long-term success on the court remains the team’s top priority.
With Kemba Walker being removed from the rotation, this clears the path for rookie Deuce McBride to get some minutes down the stretch of the season. This is something Knicks fans have been hoping to see as the trio of Walker, Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley have struggled mightily running the offense in the absence of Derrick Rose.
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Playing the young guys down the stretch is something that would make sense for the New York Knicks, who are currently 3.5 games outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament. There is no negative to giving the kids playing time the remainder of the season.
Even if they struggle, it is valuable experience gained and the team will improve its standing in the lottery. It isn’t like the veterans Thibodeau has been relying on have been racking up wins.
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If the team goes on a run playing the youngsters, there will be a ton of optimism and hope restored in the team heading into the offseason. At this point in time, there is no reason to not see what the youngsters extended run to see what the team has and what areas they need to improve this offseason.
