Getty NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 26: Kemba Walker #8 of the New York Knicks in action against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden on November 26, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Kemba Walker homecoming has turned sour quicker than anybody envisioned and has left the New York Knicks with a conundrum at the guard position.
Walker, who joined his hometown team during the off-season, has failed to impress during his 18 games for the Knicks this season, despite his 41.3% shooting from beyond the arc. And now, Walker finds himself riding the bench every night and is truly outside of the Knicks rotations.
“I view Kemba as a starter, and so it’d be tough to play three small guards together. I gave it consideration, and I’ve got great respect for who Kemba is as a person and all he’s accomplished in this league. But I have to do what I think is best for the team,” head coach Tom Thibodeau told the New York Post.
Since Thibodeau’s press conference, the Knicks have played nine games, none featuring Walker. Of those nine games, the Knicks have won just twice, giving them a 2-7 record since their decision to operate without one of the league’s better scoring guards.
One former NBA point guard took to Twitter recently and branded the organization’s treatment of Walker as “Disrespectful” – which is understandable given how the team has lost more games since removing Walker than they did with him in the rotation.
Can’t lie, I hate seeing Kemba just sitting there..low key disrespectful.
Walker’s On-Court Presence Hurt New York’s Defense
When he was still part of the nightly rotations, Walker’s shortcomings on defense were constantly hunted by opposing teams. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Knicks were -13.2 points per 100 possessions worse with Walker on the court than when he went to the bench.
Furthermore, Walker’s on/off rating was -17.9 points per 100 possessions. When you look at either the lineup data or the on/off data, one thing was clear – the Knicks couldn’t continue playing Walker and living with such appalling defensive numbers.
A statistical summary of why the Knicks are pulling Kemba Walker from the rotation:
Knicks have the best defense in the league when he’s on the bench (99.0 DRtg) & are dead last (116.3 DRtg) when he’s on the floor.
They are 27th in offense with him playing, 9th with him off.
But moving him out of the rotation hasn’t solved any of their issues either. Four of the Knicks’ losses since sitting the Bronx native have been by double figures, while their December 14 loss to the Golden State Warriors was by a nine-point margin. So, the Knicks have lost five of their last seven games by a double-digit (or close to it) margin, despite moving Walker, who they deemed to be the problem, out of their lineups.
Walker’s Knee Injuries Have Altered His Career
Anyone who followed Walker’s career while he was with the Boston Celtics will be aware of the knee issues that limited his ability to play back-to-back and kept him out for substantial stretches.
Another issue with those knee problems is that they’ve limited Walkers’ burst, making it harder for him to generate separation from defenders when peeling off screens – one of his most utilized weapons throughout his career.
According to Instat’s tracking data, the Knicks were still asking Walker to operate as the primary ball-handler during pick-and-roll possessions this year, with them accounting for 51.5% of Walker’s total offensive contribution. Walker was averaging 1.01 points per possession when utilizing the screen, giving him roughly a 50% shooting clip, but it was clear the burst of speed that used to strike fear into defenders was no longer there.
It’s also worth noting that while Walker’s shooting splits over his 18 games with the Knicks looks good, his play during November was problematic for the Knicks. In 12 games, Walker shot just 29.6% from deep and 39.1% from the field, meaning that his offensive contributions no longer outweighed his defensive deficiencies, per Basketball-Reference.
With the Knicks struggling to find their identity and losing games at an alarming rate, it makes sense to look at ways to incorporate Walker back into the rotation. Sure, Thibodeau may see him as a starter, but coming off the bench may be a way to save both the Knicks season and what’s left of Walker’s career.