Many were fired up when the New York Knicks acquired Kemba Walker in the offseason. The All-Star guard was expected to help rejuvenate the team further while playing in front of his hometown fans. But in an unexpected turn of events, Walker has suddenly found himself on the team's back burner after a sluggish start to the season.
Walker has been pulled out of the Knicks' rotation by coach Tom Thibodeau. The strict tactician said it's hard for them to play with small guards, prompting him to shelve the 6-foot Walker.
While the prolific playmaker, who's now linked to trade rumors, has largely shied away from the matter, he got a huge message of support from Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash, via ESPN:
“Kemba's a great human being, great teammate. No matter how great a teammate and how great an attitude you have, to take that scenario into account, it's very difficult for a guy who competes and wants to play and prepares the way he does to play.”
The 31-year-old Walker has always been the consummate professional. He's often tagged as one of the nicest guys in the NBA, so accepting his demotion might be less difficult. But, still, it should be frustrating for a player of his caliber to get yanked out of the rotation.
The Knicks lost to Nash's Nets, 112-110, on Tuesday night, with Walker getting a DNP for the second straight game. Guard Alec Burks, who replaced him in the starting unit, had a team-high 25 points.
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