Kemba Walker has been coping with a nagging left knee injury for quite some time now.
The injury first appeared when Boston Celtics point guard participated in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. His knee remained a problem through the 2019-20 season, and forced him to sit out a number of games.
Thanks to the NBA's historically short offseason, Walker is in a bit of a time crunch to get where he needs to be physically before the next season begins. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has high hopes for Walker entering the 2020-21 campaign, but knows there could be some speed bumps along the way.
"I don’t know the answer to that yet, but whatever it is, we’ll be ready for that," Ainge told reporters Wednesday via video conference, per MassLive. "I have all the confidence in the world that Kemba will be back, and healthy, and fresh, ready.
"There could be maintenance issues during the offseason and early part of the season," he added, "But at some point he’ll be back and ready to go."
For now, however, Walker is doing what he can to to prepare before Dec. 22 rolls around.
"What he’s doing right now is very important during this offseason, but we know how good of a player Kemba is and how good he can be," Ainge said. "We have to put Kemba’s health at the front as a No. 1 priority going in. We have to make sure we’ve got three more years with Kemba at least, and we’re excited about those three years."
What will come of Walker's second year with the Celtics? And how will his knee play a role in his success? We'll soon find out.
