Getty CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 12: Kemba Walker #8 of the New York Knicks looks on prior to the first half of their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on November 12, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
We’re still a few days away from Christmas, the unofficial start of the NBA season, and we have already seen three major swings in the Knicks’ relationship with point guard Kemba Walker. His ride with the team began with great enthusiasm when Rice High alum was able to have a homecoming after he was waived by the Thunder, an era of good feeling that went all the way to a 5-1 start.
That momentum quickly fizzled once the Knicks’ starting five became a certifiable disaster and the team flopped to 5-8 in its next 13 games, culminating in a 21-point drubbing at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. Walker took the heat for the team’s woes and fans clamored for his benching, which finally happened on November 27 when Walker was replaced in the starting lineup by guard Alec Burks.
But the Knicks did not just remove Walker from the starting group, coach Tom Thibodeau instead benched him altogether for 10 straight games, during which the Knicks went 3-7. Walker garnered some sympathy then, as it seemed the Knicks were being too punitive.
Then came Saturday’s 29-point performance in 37 minutes against his old team, the Celtics. After that showing, it was clear Walker, while respectful was not happy with his treatment from the organization. Tensions appeared to be on the rise between Walker and Thibodeau as the benching dragged on, especially after Walker revealed that Thibs had not spoken to him since the move.
Thibodeau addressed giving Walker the silent treatment after practice on Monday.
“That’s who he is, and I have an appreciation for that. With all players, there’s gonna be frustrations,” Thibodeau said. “I’ve got great respect for Kemba. So …”
“That’s who he is. I have an appreciation for that. With all players, there’s gonna be frustrations. I’ve got great respect for Kemba.”
Tom Thibodeau discusses Kemba Walker’s frustration over not getting more playing time:
Kemba Walker’s Future With the Knicks Still Cloudy
What we don’t yet know is what, exactly, Thibodeau plans to do next with Walker. The Knicks play on Tuesday night and are still looking at a roster ravaged by injury and COVID-19 protocols.
Point guard Derrick Rose remains day-to-day with an ankle injury, and backup point guards Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley are in the protocols. Walker could, again, be the only healthy true point guard on the Knicks’ roster, which would force Thiobdeau to put him on the floor.
Walker said, after the 29-point outburst, that he “hates” not playing. He also continued to play the part of the good soldier.
“I want to play,” Walker told reporters, per Yahoo.com. “I don’t know. So it is what it is. … I don’t know what the future holds, you know? I do feel like I have a lot to give still. I don’t know. That’s up to these guys. … I know I should be playing, so no question. It feels great. But whatever situation I’m in, I’m gonna stay locked in, stay prepared. Whatever the team needs from me, I’ll be there for them.”
Lack of Walker-Thibodeau Conversation Remains Strange
What was most unusual about the Walker benching was that, according to Walker, he had not had a conversation with Thibodeau about it since. Walker himself did not make much of that fact, but it seemed stunning that an experienced coach like Thibodeau would not chat with a well-respect vet like Walker during such a tumultuous time.
Said Thibs: “I talk to the team every day and I talk to every player appropriately. That’s what a head coach’s job is. But I have an appreciation for frustration. He’s an accomplished player. I have to do what I think is best for the team. And that’s how I’m gonna make my decisions.”