New York Knicks: Why Kemba Walker can transform NY’s offense
By Adam Kester
New York Knicks: Is it still “the same” Kemba Walker?
It’s funny how the perception of a player can be changed based on their contract. 36-million dollar Kemba Walker is the same player as 8-million dollar Kemba Walker.
There is nothing worse in sports than injuries. Kemba Walker was an iron man — In his last 4 years with the Charlotte Hornets, from 2015-2019, Walker started in 316 of his team’s 322 games, averaging over 34 minutes per game.
In his last two seasons with the Boston Celtics, he played in 99 of 154 games. The injury concerns are real.
Walker’s arthritis isn’t going to disappear. It’s something that Walker will be dealing with for the rest of his career. Is it going to prevent him from having a lead role in the offense?
It’s not, and here’s why.
Kemba Walker is actually very similar to Derrick Rose in terms of where they are in their career. Both players can still make an impact but can’t be overworked.
In 2018-19, his last season with the Hornets, Walker averaged his highest scoring total with 25.6 points per game. He put up 25.6 points per game on 20.5 shot attempts and 5.5 free throw attempts.
His averaged took a hit in Boston, but his efficiency did not. Walker put up 19.3 points on 15.7 shot attempts and 3.5 free throws.
Walker was in a featured role in Charlotte and in his final year put up 1.25 points per shot attempt. In Boston, where he was 3rd on the team in shot attempts, he put up 1.23 points per shot attempt.
No one is asking him to come in and be the franchise player for the New York Knicks. Walker can very much play a secondary role on a Knicks team that is suddenly much deeper with ball-handlers than they were just a season ago.
Walker can excel in the role he’s being given. New York is essentially asking him to replace Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty and look at what some of the numbers and projections say about Walker in the Knicks lineup.