Kemba Walker’s performance on Christmas Day wasn’t efficient scoring-wise, but it was clear that the point guard still had a good game. Walker put up a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks, putting up 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists while committing only one turnover.
Even though he is now the starting point guard for the New York Knicks, there was once a time where Kemba Walker was benched by the team. However, it seems as though he has gotten past that part of his Knicks tenure.
After the win against the Hawks, Kemba Walker commented on his benching, claiming that he was “over” it and that it was actually a “blessing in disguise”. His mindset definitely makes sense, as it is best to focus on performing well going forward now that he’s reclaimed his spot in the rotation.
Kemba Walker is "over" being benched:
"It don't matter anymore. It was a blessing in disguise, to be honest. Time goes on, guys go down, and I'm back." pic.twitter.com/QeGQ8VCPxx
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 25, 2021
I’m over it. It don’t matter anymore at this point. I just take it as a blessing. It was a blessing in disguise to be honest… I just continue to work, time goes on and guys go down, and I’m back. First game against my old team, I’m back in the starting lineup. The rest is history from there. You know, maybe it happened for a reason man.
There is no doubt that Kemba Walker has performed well since his return for the New York Knicks. He is averaging 26.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 7.0 APG in the last 4 games, and it’s clear that he does indeed have some gas left in the tank. While it is difficult to see him keeping up this sort of play for the entire season, he can still be a valuable contributor on the roster.
The New York Knicks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-18 record. They haven’t performed like the team that made the playoffs just last season. Hopefully, they are able to find success going forward, but the path to the postseason won’t be easy this year with the Eastern Conference being very competitive.
