As morbid as it may seem, Kemba Walker has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the full-blown COVID-19 outbreak that has plagued the league over the past few weeks. The 31-year-old veteran has been nothing short of amazing since being reinserted into the lineup of the New York Knicks. This has resulted in a special honor for the 6-foot point guard as the NBA recognizes Walker's strong play of late.
Kemba Walker has just been named as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week (h/t NBA Communications on Twitter):
Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 10 of the 2021-22 season (Dec. 20-26). pic.twitter.com/mCesSr3Qm2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 27, 2021
In three games played the previous week, Walker averaged 25.0 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, while also connecting on 4.0 triples per game on a 37.5-percent clip. He's made a major impact on the Knicks since returning to the lineup and most importantly, Walker has helped lead New York to two wins out of their last three games.
Article Continues BelowRight now, it appears that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has no other choice but to keep Walker in the rotation. Derrick Rose recently underwent surgery on his ankle and is now expected to miss eight weeks, while backup point guards Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride remain under the NBA's COVID protocols.
Has Walker done enough to prove that he deserves to be in the Knicks lineup? He still has some time to further stake his claim. Either that or he just helped New York by significantly improving his market value ahead of the February trade deadline.