Kemba Walker has been a gift that keeps on giving for the New York Knicks lately. The former UConn Huskies star has another opportunity to add another present for his team right on Christmas Day, as the Knicks are about to face the Atlanta Hawks at home Saturday night.
With the Knicks missing plenty of players due to COVID-related issues, New York head coach Tim Thibodeau has been forced to get Walker out of the doghouse to give the team a shot in the arm. Walker has certainly done that, even scoring 44 points against the Washington Wizards last Thursday at home, albeit in a 124-117 loss. Nevertheless, Thibodeau is going to give Walker another chance to start when the Knicks take on the Hawks, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Article Continues BelowKemba Walker will remain in the starting lineup, Thibodeau said.
Thibodeau's decision on Walker has been made even though Immanuel Quickley has already cleared the health and safety protocol. But with Derrick Rose sidelined after undergoing ankle surgery, the Knicks are looking pretty thin in the backcourt, so giving Walker an extended run at the point is almost a no-brainer for Thibodeau, especially when considering how hot the guard has been of late. Walker has put up an average of 31.3 points on 44.1 percent shooting from the field in the last four Knicks games.