How Much Does Kemba Walker Signing Help Mavs? Let's Talk About It
After many months of yelling that the Dallas Mavericks needed some help when it came to having a serviceable third ball-handler off the bench, it appears that they're finally starting to listen.
The Mavs are riding a four-game losing streak, which is the longest skid of the Jason Kidd head coach era so far. A big reason for Dallas' spiral is the shooting woes of key contributors Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber. But another big reason is the lack of players who can dribble and create their own shots.
Enter veteran point guard and former All-Star Kemba Walker, who the Mavs are reportedly signing to a veteran minimum deal this week after they waive Facundo Campazzo's non-guaranteed contract. You can listen to the latest Mavs Step Back Podcast breaking down Dallas' recent struggles and the Kemba signing right here:
Walker, who is 32 years old, has had nine months to prepare for his next opportunity after shutting his season down with the New York Knicks in February. The biggest question is, given his age and recent injury history, how much does he have to offer at this point? According to Walker, he believes he has enough left in the tank to help the Mavs this season.
"I feel great," Walker told The Boston Globe in October. "I’m going to be honest. I’m going to have my opportunity. I’m not in any rush right now. I’m just grinding and trying to feel as good as I can. And right now, I feel great. I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time. I’m just waiting for the opportunity.
"It’s never been basketball [performance]. It’s just been my knee. I don’t have [anything] to prove. Everybody knows what I’m about over the years, what I have done in this league."
If Walker can stay healthy, he will check a number of boxes for what the Mavs need coming off their bench, including ball-handling, distributing, 3-point shooting and the ability to create his own offense when needed.
In his brief stint with the Knicks last season, Walker averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 36.7 percent from deep. On Dec. 23, 2021, Walker poured in 44 points against the Washington Wizards, which was one of six games with New York where he scored at least 21 points.
Walker’s size will naturally cause problems on defense, but it’s not like the Mavs have been playing lockdown defense without him lately anyway. Dallas needs a spark, and hopefully a rested and motivated Walker can provide that. We’ll find out soon enough.
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