Kemba Walker’s mysterious absence continued Monday when he sat out his ninth straight game.
During the last Garden holiday matinee, Kemba Walker became a triple-double Christmas Day hero.
According to Thibodeau, the delay, too, is because the Knicks want Walker strong enough to not have to take games off after he returns. But is that really possible? “The big thing is, regarding Kemba, I want him to feel as good as possible,’’’ Thibodeau said after the Knicks’ three-game winning streak was snapped in aon Monday. “A player like him, in the situation he’s in, I want him to completely trust his body. When he’s ready, he’s ready. He’ll let us know. He’s pretty close. He’s loading up pretty good. When he’s there, we’ll know. He’ll know. That’s the most important thing. A pro athlete has to trust his body.
“I don’t want to get into a situation where it’s on off, on off,’’ Thibodeau said. “I want to get to a point where he feels confident, in a good spot, a good place and he can go.’’