New York Knicks: Player grades through first 1/4 of the season
By Adam Kester
New York Knicks Player Grades: Kemba Walker — C-
Well, given how Kemba Walker has been completely removed from the rotation, it would be easy to believe that he would be getting an F grade.
Really, his demotion has been all about how poor his fit with the team is. I don’t believe that Waker is that different of a player than we thought he was going into the season, but it’s been a struggle with him and the New York Knicks starters on offense.
Walker can still find his own shot. His numbers, on the surface, really aren’t terrible.
Just under 12 points per game and 3 assists while shooting 43% from the field and an impressive 41.3% from 3.
His player efficiency rating is the 2nd best of any of the team’s starters.
It’s just been a bad fit with the team as a whole. Walker is a slower player at this point in his career and gets a lot of his scoring from isolation plays. He just isn’t much of a threat moving off-ball.
His small frame has made him a liability on defense as well and really, a net negative on the court. His +/- is the worst of any NBA player on a winning team this season.
It’s a sad story for the New York native that had so much excitement heading into the season but one that’s ultimately hard to see changing anytime soon. The Knicks have looked better without him in the lineup.