New York Knicks: 3 Healthy expectations and goals for Kemba Walker
By Allen Settle
New York Knicks: Kemba Walker’s scoring punch
Even considering his injury concerns, Kemba’s primary value comes as a scorer. At his best, he was amongst the league elite. At this worst, he was still a near 20 PPG contributor.
New York should expect to see a version of Walker that resembles his Boston tenure. This is a good thing!
The Knicks’ shortcomings in this area were put on full display during their postseason series against the Atlanta Hawks. New York had built their identity on defensive excellence. Thibodeau did what he does best. He took a historically poor defense and turned it into the league’s best.
This led to tremendous success in the regular season. However, the game plan began to crumble when matched up against a true superstar in Trae Young. What would the Knicks do when facing a player so talented that he can not be fully stopped? What about a player who cannot even be contained?
Unfortunately for New York, the answer was obvious. They would lose. The Hawks’ offense, led by a spectacular showing by Young, proved overwhelming. Furthermore, the Knicks did not have the shot creators to keep pace with Atlanta.
All-Star Julius Randle struggled against postseason defenses. This left Rose as the only real go-to player.
Walker will help in this area. Walker still provides quickness and burst. He has the ability to get to the basket, create contact, and finish at the rim. The veteran guard is also known for his dangerous stepback.
This move may be affected negatively by his knee. But it is still a weapon. His most famous dagger came during his college days. Coincidentally, it was on his new home court. Walker nailed this iconic shot in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Walker quickly became one of the NBA’s most dangerous closers utilizing this move with the Hornets. Lest you believe prime Kemba is a thing of the past, he also displayed his signature move consistently in Boston.
Watch him break down a defender in an overtime game against the Clippers:
One Healthy Expectation: This could be exactly the boost the Knicks need. While Kemba may not be as crafty and dangerous as he once was, he will still be a force with the ball. He was able to produce 19.3 points last season. This number feels like a healthy expectation for 2022.