The Final Nail in Kemba Walker’s New York Knicks coffin

I wish this wasn’t the way I would be writing about Kemba Walker’s New York Knicks tenure, but here we are.

Nobody (except for salty Boston Celtics fans) saw this coming and certainly, no basketball fan or decent human being aware of the situation would have wished this on Walker. Walker is an incredible teammate and has had an impressive overall career, but it looks like neither will be enough to keep him in New York for much longer.

New York Knicks: Kemba Walker’s rollercoaster tenure

The point guard signed in the offseason after being bought out by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This was welcomed with open arms by Knicks fans who hoped the born and raised New Yorker can reclaim some form of his all-star past and finally put an end to a decades-long search for a starting point guard.

The latest on that search has produced both good and bad news. Part of the bad news is Kemba Walker has not been the answer. Walker was benched back on November 29th after 18 games as the starter to underwhelming results. When looking at the numbers, Walker played a large role in killing the Knicks, pun intended.

Unfortunately, the other bad news has been that benching Walker did not make a positive impact. The team as a whole has still been simply bad post-Walker, boasting a 2-7 record. He definitely wouldn’t help the 24th ranked defense (110.7 DefRtg) if inserted back into the lineup, and it’s unreasonable to think he alone would rejuvenate a squad whose offensive rating is 17th in the NBA (108.9).

Despite the “Walker Era” Knicks being extremely disappointing, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

After all, Walker is not the only point guard on the New York roster. And that friends is the good news.

Immanuel Quickley, who many fans, including yours truly, believe should be starting over Alec Burks at the position, has been one of the few bright spots for the team this year. Look no further than the clinic he put on against the Houston Rockets this week. Quickley set his career-high for 3PM in a game (shot 7/10 from deep) and led the team near single-handedly to a win by scoring 24 points.

And there was more from that Houston matchup to get excited about. Rookie Miles McBride got an extended run for the second straight game and looked excellent. McBride scored 15 points and dished 9 assists in 36 minutes of action. “Deuce” played the entire second half and was the other main catalyst in the Knicks win.

Part of why McBride saw so much time was because Derrick Rose went down with an ankle injury just 12 minutes into the game. Speaking of Rose, we all know he is still a sensational talent who is often responsible for carrying New York’s offense. Rose in his time with the Knicks this year and last has been nothing short of inspirational since the team is often in dire need of his scoring and penetration to capture victory. Don’t expect him to be off the team anytime soon.

I’m more than pleased that McBride is getting these opportunities to show why the Knicks selected him 36th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Speaking of opportunities for rookies, Walker’s benching also opened the door for Quentin Grimes to see rotation minutes. Grimes is another rookie who has had his moments, the biggest being his 27 point and 7 3PM explosion versus the Milwaukee Bucks three games ago.

In hindsight, Kemba Walker was a bit of a scapegoat for the New York Knicks’ poor play. The numbers painted a horrifying story, but the nightmare is still ongoing several games after Walker’s benching.

In recent days, some Knicks loyalists speculated if Walker would or should see playing time again given the team’s continued mishaps and due to a couple of players being sidelined. But, because Tom Thibodeau has opted to play Quickley, McBride, and Rose to uplifting success, it looks like Walker’s chances of seeing the floor again barring further injury issues are very slim.

Additionally, Walker’s days as a Knick could very well be numbered. As of December 15th, players who were signed as free agents in 2021 are now eligible to be moved in trades.

There is a ton of speculation that a move can be coming for the New York Knicks this season. The trade deadline is on February 10th, so Walker could see himself in a package that ships him to a new team at any moment now.

While part of me wants Walker to be a Knick for life, the other part of me knows that the brief experiment with him on the team is likely over.

What started as a dream narrative about a star point guard coming home to play for a rising Knicks team faded fast. It is hard to believe that recent events, most notably the game vs Houston, have not sealed Walker’s fate as a Knick.

We may have just witnessed the final nail being put into Kemba’s coffin. And ironically, it may be for the better.