Mavs GM Nico Harrison Makes Concerning Kemba Walker Comments
The Dallas Mavericks are still in the process of finding a reliable third ball handler to take some pressure off Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie throughout the ups and downs of an 82-game season.
Following Jalen Brunson's departure to the New York Knicks in free agency, there was a clear need for the team to find a third reliable ball handler. The team felt differently and bypassed the chance to sign names like Goran Dragic and Dennis Smith Jr. in the offseason.
The Mavs entered training camp without a third ball handler and waited until very late to sign Facundo Campazzo to a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum salary contract. It became clear that Campazzo wasn't enough of a shooting threat to play next to Luka Doncic, leading to him being waived — even though that was pretty clearly his skill-set based on his prior NBA production.
Recently, the Mavs determined that Campazzo wasn't a good enough shot maker after having to see it firsthand in their games — resulting in him getting waived. The team used the move to make room to sign Kemba Walker to fill the same role as a fringe rotation player, but with a different skill-set.
The main complication with Walker has been the health of his knee. His 2021-22 season was shut down on Feb. 23 and he hasn't played in an NBA game since. He recently spoke to Mavs media to discuss joining the team, mentioning that his knee feels "really good."
"I feel really good," Walker said. "Not just saying that. I know I haven't played in a while. … I feel as good as I've felt in a very long time. I waited, took my time and made sure I felt better before I really started ramping myself up.”
With the Mavs passing the 20-game mark of the season, general manager Nico Harrison has made his rounds in the Dallas-Fort Worth media market. Among the interviews that Harrison participated in was with 1310 The Ticket, and the topic of the Kemba Walker signing was brought up.
When asked about Walker's injury situation relating to his knee, Harrison noted that "it's not good." However, the four-time All-Star is feeling better than he's felt in a while, but again, they have to see where that's at as they go.
"It's one (knee)," Harrison said of Walker's knee injury history. "It's not good, it's not good at all, but he's rehabbed it, and it's the best he's felt in the last two years. We'll see how long that lasts."
The Mavs aren't going to be utilizing Walker in a major role, as Harrison made clear. In fact, they view him as someone that will fill the role that Facundo Campazzo had before he was waived to make room for Walker.
"We brought him in as our next version of Campazzo, if you will. I don't see him as a guy that we necessarily need to play 20 minutes per game."
It remains to be seen when Walker will be available to make his Mavs debut. The team is currently ramping him up and Harrison feels that it should take about a week for him to be ready to play.
"We're going to ramp him up slow, and I would say about a week is far because he didn't have training camp or anything. But he's practicing, he's shooting, he's working out — running on the treadmill..."
There isn't reason to trust that Walker's knees will hold up until proven otherwise. He can make a proven impact as a scorer out of pick-and-rolls, handoffs, and isolation touches in addition to being a catch-and-shoot threat. Regardless, he's a defensive liability that only worsens as his knee declines.
At some point, the wasted opportunity to prioritize Jaden Hardy's development may be at the forefront of the conversation about the Mavs' third ball handler role in the future. He's thrived in the G League with the Texas Legends. Why not let him see what he can do in the NBA during his rookie campaign? If he's not ready, then he can spend more time developing.
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