Kemba Walker out again; Derrick Rose, not Julius Randle, on first returns of fan All-Star ballot

It’s been day-to-day for over a week.

Kemba Walker missed his fourth consecutive game Thursday with his sore arthritic knee, with still no clear idea on when the point guard will return. Still, Tom Thibodeau said Walker progressed to more workouts in Thursday morning’s shootaround.

Walker’s knee was inflamed during warmups on New Year’s Eve after six straight games with heavy minutes, including both sets of a back-to-back. Thibodeau indicated he’ll ease the burden on Walker’s knee when he returns.

“Whatever he can handle, that’s what he’ll get,” Thibodeau said. “We’ll go from there. We were down bodies [to COVID-19 protocols] and now we got guys back and I like the depth at that position.”

Still, Walker’s knee issue isn’t going to disappear. A source with knowledge of the injury described the onset of pain as “not a matter of if, but when.”

JULIUS GETS NO LOVE IN ALL-STAR FAN VOTE

Derrick Rose was the only Knick to crack the NBA’s list in the first returns of the fan All-Star ballots, as Julius Randle’s struggles this season were felt at the polls.

Rose, who remains a popular figure nearly over a decade after becoming the youngest MVP in league history, was seventh among Eastern Conference guards with 232,501 votes. Fans account for 50% of the final vote for starters, with current players and media dividing the other half.

Fan voting runs until Jan. 22.

In the first returns, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry led their respective conferences. If that holds up, they’ll be captains and draft from the pool of All-Stars.

Randle was voted in last season by the coaches as a reserve, but he also finished seventh in fan voting among East frontcourt players. This season, his numbers are down across the board as the Knicks entered Thursday’s game against the Celtics with an 18-20 record. Players with more votes in the first returns included Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen, Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and Brooklyn’s LaMarcus Aldridge.

Rose, who finished 12th among East guards last year, was recently cleared to start physical therapy after undergoing ankle surgery on Dec. 22. He’s averaging 12 points in 26 games.