Kemba Walker signed with the New York Knicks in the offseason after getting his contract bought out by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over the course of his last season with the Boston Celtics, Walker averaged 19.3 PPG and 4.9 APG, though he only shot 42% from the field.
Despite his inefficiencies from the field last season, we all know that when he’s healthy, Kemba Walker is a great scorer. He battled injuries during his last season with the Boston Celtics and only appeared in 43 games during the 2020-21 season.
When speaking to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Tom Thibodeau revealed that he wants Kemba Walker to be “aggressive” as well as stating that the former Charlotte guard was “a little too unselfish” during the preseason.
I thought Kemba also was almost a little too unselfish. When the ball is coming to them, I want them to be who they are. I don’t want them trying to fit in and then they get themselves out of rhythm.”
I know they’re unselfish players by nature. Just be aggressive. Be who you are. When you have your shots, you take them, and that’s the way I want our whole team to play.”
At his peak, Kemba Walker was averaging 25.6 PPG with the Charlotte Hornets, showing an ability to be the focal point of an offense. While he is not necessarily the same player, he should still be an effective scorer for the New York Knicks, especially since he won’t be relied upon to carry the bulk of the scoring.
Knicks star Julius Randle has previously expressed optimism about Kemba Walker’s addition to the team, stating that Walkers is a player that “can really shoot the ball”. It seems as though Tom Thibodeau is in agreement about Walker’s abilities, as evidenced by his desire for Walker to be less unselfish. If Walker can become a consistent supplementary scorer for the Knicks, they’re bound to have a great season.
