It sounds like Knicks guard Kemba Walker won’t see regular playing time unless he reclaims his starting job, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Walker, who was pulled from the rotation earlier this week, didn’t leave the bench during Saturday afternoon’s loss to the Nuggets, even as New York fell behind by 30 points.
“As I mentioned before when I made that decision, I view Kemba as a starter,” coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. “… I do have respect for him, he’s part of the team. And right now we have a rotation, he’s not in the rotation but he’s working in practice, he’s doing all the things he should be doing.”
Walker, who hasn’t talked to the media since his demotion, has been a disappointment this season, even at the discount price of $18M over two years. He’s scoring 11.7 points per game, down from 19.3 PPG last season with the Celtics, and his arthritic left knee limits his effectiveness on defense.
Neither Walker or backcourt partner Evan Fournier has lived up to what the Knicks expected when they pursued them in free agency. Multiple sources tell Bondy that Thibodeau urged the front office to keep Reggie Bullock, who signed with Dallas for $30.5M over three years.
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