Jan 18, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker (8) reacts during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks
The Dallas Mavericks plan to sign former 4-time all star Kemba Walker and waive Facundo Campazzo according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Walker, who most recently played for the New York Knicks in February of last season, was traded on draft night to the Pistons in a part of a salary dump. Walker averaged 11.6 PPG on 53.7% TS last season. Kemba’s last season ended on very poor terms personally, but he’s a low-risk add for the Mavs, who desperately seek creation outside of Luka.
Kemba Walker was infamously benched and eventually taken out the rotation entirely midway through the season last year where Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau opted to convert his wing Alec Burks into the team’s starting point guard just to avoid playing Walker. This was due in large part to the defensive woes the former UConn standout has been suffering throughout his career – to the point his offensive prowess didn’t outweigh.
The Dallas Mavericks have been deeply reliant on the scoring from their MVP frontrunner Luka Dončić, with little help surrounding him. A mind boggling stat that encapsulates how bad it’s been is: this year in games where Luka scores 30+ points, the Mavericks are 9-4, and games where he fails to crack 30, the team is 0-6. Not a single win without the game running entirely though Dončić.
Kemba Walker isn’t going to hop in and be the second star for the team. The Mavericks would be lucky if he even filled half the hole Jalen Brunson left. It’s just another source of offense to take the load off of Luka. When Dončić is off the floor, the Mavericks have a 105.1 offensive rating, which would rank dead last in the league.
The addition of Walker on the floor will let Luka move to one of the forward slots and pack in as much scoring in a 5-man lineup as possible. Spencer Dinwiddie has had a surprisingly efficient year, but outside of him, the support in Dallas has noticeably been lacking.
Jason Kidd clearly has something out for Christian Wood which limits the team’s offense, Reggie Bullock has looked putrid, the tandem of Luka and JaVale couldn’t look worse, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is having the most inefficient year of his career. At this point, Kemba couldn’t hurt more than the rest of the supporting cast.
As long as Kemba Walker isn’t targeted in 90% of defensive possessions, the low-risk route of signing him to a non-guaranteed deal can pay off dividends. It’s a small move, but the Mavericks are finally taking steps in the direction of building around a generational talent. If only they could have offered Jalen Brunson that contract.
