After a surprise playoff appearance last season that earned them home-court advantage in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks are looking to build off that success and make a deep postseason run in 2022. Even though they wound up losing to the Atlanta Hawks in five games, just getting to that point showed strides and improvements for a Knicks team that had been down in the dumps for nearly a decade.
Looking to make back-to-back playoff appearances and hoping to power through to their first NBA Finals in over 20 years, the Knicks have a tough road ahead of them thanks to an improved Eastern Conference. The additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier will bolster this upstart Knicks squad, and the re-signings of Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel will give them quality depth and a few savvy NBA veterans who will come through for them when the game is on the line.
It will also be expected that Julius Randle and RJ Barrett keep up their play and continually expand their games on both ends of the floor. But now let's take a look at who the X-Factor will be for the New York Knicks during the 2021-22 NBA season.
Knicks X-Factor: Kemba Walker
Coming off his lowest-scoring season in six years, Kemba Walker will try to bounce back and make an immediate impact in his hometown. Walker's two seasons with the Boston Celtics were marred by injury, so he's hoping to finally get healthy again and find his All-Star level while playing for 2021 NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks' offensive shortcoming were very evident against the Hawks in the playoffs, and Walker is a guy who can go get buckets. With a previous history of clutch scoring and playmaking, Walker has proven that he's one of the best pressure players in the NBA over the course of his career. With a change of scenery and a clean slate to work with in New York, it will now be on Walker to provide the Knicks with All-Star-caliber performances throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Walker's defense is nothing to write home about, especially since he's at a defensive advantage thanks to his diminutive stature. However, Thibodeau excels at getting the most out of his players defensively. As long as Kemba is passable on that end, it shouldn't hurt New York's defense, which was one of the best in the NBA last season and helped spark that push to the playoffs.
If Walker wants to revive his playing career, now is the time for him to step up and show the Knicks what he is made of. The pressure may be on, but as previously stated, Kemba Walker does have a history of thriving under pressure. The Knicks are in dire need of a clutch combo guard who can run their offense, so he could be just what the doctor ordered. If this marriage is going to work out, it will be his duty to perform at the highest level possible and help this upstart Knicks team catapult into playoff stardom.
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