Before you get to typing up your hate mail: no, I don’t think Kemba Walker is a legit NBA MVP candidate (as much as I wish he was). However, he is absolutely the MVP of the Charlotte Hornets and should be kept in mind for All-Star voting. Don’t forget to vote for him on Twitter with the hashtag #NBABallot.
A summer filled with free-agent signings and a big time name change had hope and excitement in the Queen City higher than it ever was during the Bobcat era. Unfortunately, the results to this point have been very Bobcat-esque.
With a record of 14-24 and two starters with long-term injuries (Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson), one would think the Hornets would be ready to pack it up. Thanks to a pitiful Eastern Conference, however, that is not the case. Not by a long shot.
Coming into Friday night’s action, the Hornets were only two games out of the eighth spot, with only the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers standing in their way. In fact, the Hornets were only six games from the fifth seed, so a playoff push is certainly attainable.
Keep in mind, Charlotte was only one game better through 38 contests last season at 15-23 and were still able to make the playoffs.
So with all this adversity and disappointment, how are the Hornets hanging around? Kemba Walker.
Walker’s play has been absolutely pivotal for this squad. In wins, Kemba boasts a stat-line of 23.2 points, six assists, and 4.6 rebounds. He also has produced a plus/minus of 9.4 and a 17.1 Player Impact Estimate (essentially, NBA.com‘s more improved efficiency rating) in victories.
On the other hand, Walker is putting up 16 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in losses. While that may not seem like a huge difference, the more advanced statistics paint a different picture.
In losses, Kemba Walker’s plus/minus is an abysmal minus-9.7. That’s a 19.1 point swing on the plus/minus scale between wins and losses. His Player Impact Rating also drops down to 9.9 in defeats.
As the numbers show, Walker’s performance greatly influence’s the team’s success.
A big reason why Walker has been so important is his ability to step up in the clutch moments. He’s already hit a number of game-winners and big shots to seal the deal in tight contests, including a big one just the other night against the Toronto Raptors.
Kemba Walker has flourished most when the Hornets really need him. As you can see in the chart above, Walker is shooting 45.9 percent when Charlotte is down 1-6 points.
Pay special attention to his three-point shooting percentage. With his team down 1-6 points, Walker is shooting 44 percent on 39 shots from beyond the arc. This means Kemba has been able to consistently cut the lead at least in half during tight situations. That’s a huge statistic that will go unnoticed to general NBA fans.
When Al Jefferson went down with a groin strain, everyone thought that any chance of a playoff appearance went down with him. Well, here we are with the Hornets riding a four-game winning streak thanks to (you guessed it) Kemba Walker.
During this winning streak, Walker has averaged 30.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.8 rebounds, with a plus/minus of at least 12 in three of the four games.
His recent performances have just further gone on to demonstrate how successful he can be when he’s the only ball-dominant player on the court. While this is certainly exciting right now, it will only raise questions when Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson return to action.
In its truest sense of the term, one could make the argument that Kemba deserves to be in consideration for Most Valuable Player. After all, he is the most valuable player to his team right now.
With two key starters injured, this team was left for dead. Now, hope is more alive in the hive than it has been all season behind Kemba Walker’s efforts.
You won’t hear Kemba’s name in MVP talks, but he certainly deserves a lot more praise than he’s received.