Tom Thibodeau says Kemba Walker has been dictating his own return: ‘When he’s ready... he’ll let us know’

The Big Apple already has a part-time point guard in the outer borough. But with Kemba Walker, Tom Thibodeau wants full-time availability.

The coach tried to explain Walker’s extended and confusing absence after Monday’s loss to the Hornets, saying the four-time All-Star is dictating the recovery timeline with the hope his arthritic knee won’t require another long break.

“What I don’t want is a situation where it’s on-off, on-off,” Thibodeau said. “We want to get to the point where he’s in a good spot, good place. And he can go.”

Walker, 31, missed his ninth straight game and Thibodeau has labeled him day-to-day for two weeks. Walker’s knee flared up after he logged heavy minutes in December because much of the roster was in COVID-19 protocols.

“The big thing regarding Kemba is I want him to feel as good as possible and a player like him in the situation he’s in, I want him to completely trust where he is with his body,” Thibodeau said. “So when he’s ready, he’s ready. He’ll let us know. We trust him.”

With Derrick Rose also absent while rehabbing from ankle surgery, the Knicks don’t carry an experienced veteran point guard. Alec Burks, a natural off-guard, has been logging the bulk of the minutes.

Of course, that might be preferential to Thibodeau, who earlier this season pulled Walker from the rotation and started Burks.

Walker has played only 24 games this season and has averaged 13.4 points and 27.3 minutes. He hasn’t played since tweaking his knee during warmups on New Year’s Eve. Tests didn’t uncover any structural damage, but Walker’s been dealing with left knee pain for years.

“He’s pretty close [to coming back]. He’s loading up pretty good. So when he’s ready, we’ll know. He’ll know,” Thibodeau said. “That’s the most important thing. A pro athlete has to trust his body.

“Nothing can replicate the intensity of the game. When you have a period of time off and you’re not doing anything, there has to be a gradual build-up to where you can take the contact and be comfortable,” he continued. “So that’s where he is. He’s ramped up pretty good. He probably still hasn’t taken enough contact yet. Once he gets to that point, we’ll go.”