Chris Forsberg proved in his latest piece, entitled “Forsberg: Kemba’s continued decline in New York isn’t cause for joy” why he gets paid the big bucks. With Kemba Walker being yanked from the New York Knicks rotation in favor of Alec Burks, the NBC Sports Boston Celtics reporter eloquently broke down why this is nothing to celebrate.
Obviously, from a player management perspective, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens hit a home run in dealing Walker for current-starting power forward Al Horford, who is averaging 12.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and a steal per game.
But from a humane point of view, Walker’s decline due to injury and illness is harrowing at best and tragic at worst.
In fact, Forsberg brought up the perfect comparison for this feeling of sympathy and sadness towards another point guard Boston has traded: Isaiah Thomas.
"Celtics fans had lived a story like this before with Isaiah Thomas. An undersized All-Star guard beset by an injury that wouldn’t allow the All-Star to play to their lofty standard. In the case of Walker, it became obvious last season that as Tatum and Brown elevated to the faces of the franchise, a high-usage, shoot-first point guard was not the ideal complement to Boston’s star tandem. What’s more, Walker’s defensive deficiencies because of his size were only accentuated amid his offensive decline and no amount of charge takes could stop the gnawing feeling that the Celtics had to move on."
Many Knicks fans believed that the Bronx-born Walker’s homecoming to the Mecca, where he famously became ‘Cardiac Kemba’ in the 2011 Big East tournament would result in a reinvigoration of the 4x NBA All-Star.
Instead, we have seen him become unplayable in second-year Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s offense.
With Isaiah Thomas playing his way into a professional basketball comeback as we speak, perhaps the end isn’t imminent for Kemba Walker being an impact player.
But if he never returns to being the player he once was, his contributions to the league as a player and individual will always be cherished by the right people.