There are still ten days, he was stuck at the end of the bench of the Knicks … The absences multiplied, the defeats too, and yet, Kemba Walker was still not playing. And then, Tom Thibodeau finally had no choice but to put him back on the ground, and it became a real Christmas tale with an outcast who turns into a hero.
Tonight, against the Hawks, Kemba Walker signed the third triple-double of his career, the first in seven years, and the first for a Knicks player at Christmas. A performance (10 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) which punctuates a crazy week where we saw him resume in Boston with 29 points, then follow up with 21 points against the Pistons, to then plant 44 points at the Wizards. And tonight, for Christmas, a triple-double! A triple-double he went looking for, and we saw him mingling with the rebound several times to get that damn 10th take …
New York Child
“It was amazing! There are times that we dream of living, no… Frankly, it’s difficult to explain in words ” reacted the former Hornets and Celtics point guard. “It was unique. Being at home, with this New York on my chest. A kid from New York, born and raised here. It’s an incredible feeling! “
Even if Kemba Walker was not folichon at the start of the season, it should be remembered that without him, the team did not shine either: only one victory in nine matches! It was therefore the Covid-19 that allowed him to regain his place in the starting five, and which was stronger than the ideas of Tom Thibodeau.
“It’s the game that tells you what to do” defends the coach of the Knicks. “That’s why I liked the way he played. I didn’t find he forced anything. They put size on him, they were aggressive on the pick-and-rolls, and he didn’t try to force. I thought his passing game was wonderful. Some evenings it will be his shots. Some evenings, it will be his penetrations. Some evenings, if they are aggressive on two-man holds, it will be his ability to quickly get the ball out and everyone follows suit. “
The “Heart and Soul of the Knicks” for Julius Randle
Praised for his human qualities, Kemba Walker does not seek to be vengeful, nor to complain about his fate. He was not 100% at the start of the season, and Tom Thibodeau made him the scapegoat for the team’s problems by taking him out of his rotation. Time has proven him wrong, and today New York has regained its enthusiasm.
“It’s all forgotten … It doesn’t matter anymore at this stage” assure Kemba Walker. “I’m just taking it as a chance. I think it was bad for good. God works in a mysterious way… He blessed me, he helped me to stay humble, to keep my feet on the ground, and he helped me through a difficult situation. I just kept on working, and time flies, guys fall, and I’m back. I’m playing my first game against my old team, I’m back in the starting five, and it all starts from there. Nothing happens by chance… ”
This positive state of mind reflects on everyone. Like Julius Randle, reinvigorated by the return of his playmaker, whom he describes as “Heart and soul of the team”.
” I’m happy for him. As a teammate, as a brother, I’m happy that he is able to play, and to show who he is. I’m sure when he signed here it was kind of what he imagined… playing the type of basketball he plays right now. So I think we feed each other and that the team will evolve at our pace. I think at the start of the season we were relying a bit too much on each other, or trying to figure out how to play together, and that takes time. Since he returned, he has been playing with boundless energy. It is as if we were entitled to a second chance. “
