Ten questions with Knicks roster long shot M.J. Walker
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Before Monday's Media Day in Tarrytown, N.Y. places the spotlight on the Knicks' main characters, Post Sports+ looked to the roster bubble and interviewed M.J. Walker, an undrafted 6-foot-5 former Florida State shooting guard, who is at training camp trying to make the 17-man roster.
The 23-year-old native of Jonesboro, Ga., who received a football scholarship offer from Clemson, will compete with fellow undrafted rookie Aamir Simms for the team's last two-way contract. Signed to an Exhibit 10 deal — which guarantees him $50,000 if he plays for the G League Westchester Knicks — after playing in August for the Knicks summer league team, Walker has been training the last three weeks in informal scrimmages with much of the club at the Tarrytown training center.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What's Tom Thibodeau been like so far?
Walker: Thibs is serious about his craft. He knows exactly what he wants from us. He's a defensive-minded coach who understands that's how you win games and win playoff games. It's not that much different than Florida State. It's really a perfect fit. Things we run offensively here and defensive schemes are what I practiced at Florida State. He wants us to move without the ball. It's not coming down and running a play every time. We play off each other. That's what we did at Florida State. … He coaches us hard, too — doesn't let anyone relax or take a day off with their effort or energy.
MJ Walker averaged 12.2 points per game and shot 42.3 percent from behind the 3-point line for a Florida State team that reached the Sweet 16 last season.
You are the first Florida State player to compete in three Sweet 16s. What are your memories of the NCAA Tournament?
The best we did was my freshman year, when I came off the bench [and we went to] the Elite 8 (losing to Michigan). My junior year, COVID-19 shut everything down. That was the year I felt most confident going into a March Madness, knowing we can win it all. … Looking back, realizing we did it year in and year out, [it] says a lot about the success we breed in the program. Charlie Ward (former Knicks draft pick and basketball coach at Florida High, a laboratory school sponsored by Florida State University) went to our practices all the time and checked up on me. Our teams were so close — there were no cliques. It was a brotherhood.
Give us the scouting report on M.J. Walker.
A player who gets to the rim and makes open shots. You can force him into turnovers, but I feel I've gotten so much better since being up here. I'm more comfortable with the ball. But I still have a lot to work on. I bring that hustle and energy.
Are defensive intangibles your bread and butter?
It's something that requires effort. Some guys aren't willing to do it and I'm willing to do it night in, night out. It's something I can control: effort. Something I can bring to help them win.
What players on the team have you learned the most from so far?
[Immanuel] Quickley and Obi [Toppin] have definitely extended themselves. They did a great job leading the summer team and showed their improvement over last year.
What about Julius Randle?
Julius, it's his work ethic. He approaches every day like it's a game. I remember going to the facility one night when he was in the gym. He was just talking trash, motivating himself in a workout. Nobody's in the gym or anything — just a couple of assistants. He wasn't doing it for attention. He was in love with the grind. He pulled me to the side a couple of times to explain some things to me. For someone on a max contract (Editor's note: Randle's extension was below the max) who's proven himself in the league [to do that], it just shows his character and how good a person he is.
Your initials are J.M. for James Michael. Why do you go by M.J.?
My mom (Jackie, who won an NCAA Division II basketball title at Hampton) has called me that since I was little. It's more so Michael Jr., after my father. That's how she went about it; that's what I've been sticking with. I wore 23 at Florida State and now. LeBron has always been my favorite player, and he got 23 from Michael Jordan. I guess you can say throw the MJ in there. But I grew up watching LeBron.
Walker hopes his willingness to play tough defense will eventually help him find a spot on the Knicks' roster.
What was your reaction to not getting drafted?
I won't forget the night I didn't get drafted … that's my mentality. … I was in Atlanta … with my family and a couple of friends. We got an Airbnb to get away from the house. It was a weird night. It was a long night. I'll never forget it, and [it] motivates me right now. It was tough to handle that night.
Being from Atlanta, what was your impression of the Knicks-Hawks first-round playoff series?
I wasn't a Hawks fan, but I always supported them. I was at games growing up, sometimes on field trips from school. The series was super intense. I didn't watch the Knicks last season, but definitely watched them in the playoffs. It reminded me of Florida State vs. Florida: two underdogs going at it, the way they played defensively and the energy they brought. It was a good series.
What are your rookie goals?
I think I'm going to be playing with the Westchester Knicks, but it depends how training camp goes. I feel I'm doing a great job so far with the workouts.
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