LOS ANGELES — With the trade deadline looming and Kemba Walker’s homecoming continuing to underwhelm, the point guard acknowledged Friday he’s dealing with an identity crisis.
Walker, 31, went scoreless in consecutive games this week for the first time in his career, taking just six shots total and playing mostly off the ball. It’s a far cry from the four-time All-Star version of Walker from Charlotte and Boston, but a balky knee, a stint out of the rotation and increasingly limited opportunities have set him on the course of a role player.
“We do have a lot of guys who can score the basketball. And we don’t play through me,” Walker said after practice at UCLA with a bag of ice wrapped around his arthritic left knee. “So I’m just kind of out there – I’m the one playing off these guys. I’m playing off these guys. So I’m waiting for my opportunities. And I’m still learning where to be aggressive and things of that nature on this team. I can’t say it enough, it’s different. It’s just different for me.”
Different and difficult.
“It’s pretty difficult,” Walker said. “It’s just so different. I’m in a whole different position and role. But yeah, that’s on me to learn how to play with guys and learn when to get my shots and it’s just taking more time than what I’d like.”
Walker’s season in New York has been a roller coaster mostly on the decline. His signing was hailed as a potential boon for the Knicks offense and a feel-good story of the Bronx kid returning home. But he struggled early and was quickly pulled from the rotation.
When a COVID-19 outbreak hit the Knicks, Walker was pushed back into the rotation by default and given a lead role in the offense. He responded by averaging 26 points and seven assists over a four-game stretch.
But Walker re-aggravated his knee, sat for nearly three weeks, and returned to a diminished role. He’s now conceding the ball to Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier, whereas the COVID-19 outbreak in December had left him briefly as the primary playmaker.
“Nobody was on the court with me really. I don’t want to say nobody. But guys had COVID. I was out there playing a lot,” Walker said. “The ball was running through me. It was different. That’s not the case right now. I’m not saying that in a negative way. It just is what it is.”
Asked if there’s frustration about his role given his success in December, Walker answered, “Umm. It is what it is.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau said Walker will remain in the starting lineup in Saturday’s game against the Lakers, but his future beyond this week is murky. It’s no secret the Knicks want to deal Walker before the trade deadline Thursday, especially with Derrick Rose expected to return from ankle surgery after the All-Star break.
But Walker’s value as a trade chip is limited. Until the circumstances change, Walker is an afterthought in the Knicks offense. At only 31, he’s young for such a dramatic decline. But Walker’s not the only veteran star who faced such an identity crisis.
“I just go through it myself and learn myself,” he said. “It can be difficult at times but at the end of the day, it’s just a new challenge for me. Which is fine. I’ll find my way.”
