The New York Knicks are going through a rough patch, and one player that has been somewhat on the receiving end of the majority of the blame is Kemba Walker. His defensive deficiencies have been a real concern for head coach Tom Thibodeau.
As a result, Thibodeau chose to remove Kemba Walker from the rotation altogether and use other players he believes can perform on both ends of the floor. Alec Burks has been the beneficiary of that decision, as he has been the starting point guard ever since.
Granted, Walker was somewhat of a liability defensively, but the team has not been much improved since he was sidelined. He played a significant role in their early run of victories, especially on nights where Julius Randles was not performing.
Former NBA player and analyst Kenny Smith has expressed his displeasure with Thibodeau’s decision, and it seems like he is not alone. Former NBA player and arguably the best ball handler in league history Jamal Crawford has also given his take on the situation. He took to Twitter to state his disagreement with the decision.
Can’t lie, I hate seeing Kemba just sitting there..low key disrespectful.
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) December 15, 2021
“Can’t lie, I hate seeing Kemba just sitting there..low key disrespectful.”
The New York Knicks lost their fourth consecutive game last night at Madison Square Garden. Fortunately, the fans were more interested in something else on the night, as they cheered for Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry, who put together a record-breaking performance. He set the record for the most triples in league history, surpassing Ray Allen’s 2,973 made three-pointers. He also achieved it in 511 fewer games.
Walker has spoken on his current predicament, saying that he has to be a good role model for the younger guys in the group, and he will continue to cheer them till he can not anymore. Before he was sidelined, he featured in 18 games and averaged 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
