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Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker Operates Under The Radar

By Cole Mentzel

Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kemba Walker is one of the more overlooked players in the league and it’s time for people to start giving him some credit.

The topic of point guard in the NBA is one of the most fun to discuss. When we think of the elite guards in the league, we tend to think of Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, John Wall, Tony Parker and Derrick Rose but there’s another group of stars just below them. That group consists of players like Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague.

However, there’s one more player that isn’t mentioned too often: Kemba Walker. He had an incredible three years of college ball at Connecticut and really put on a show in 2011 by winning the Bob Cousy Award, Big East Tournament MVP and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award.

To go along with those achievements, Walker was a first-team All-American and led the Huskies to a National Championship.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: 25 Best Players To Play For The Hornets

Later on in 2011, he was selected 9th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, who were the Bobcats at the time. That season, all of his credibility left due to the Bobcats’ atrocious record of 7-59 and winning percentage of .106, the worst of all-time.

Though Walker’s team was not performing well, he had not really lost his flow since making the transition to college. Throughout the next three years, he continued to get better and his numbers looked very solid. Take a look at his averages from his rookie season up until now:

  • 2011-12: 12.1 pts, 4.4 ast, 3.5 reb, 0.9 stl
  • 2012-13: 17.7 pts, 5.7 ast, 3.5 reb, 2.0 stl
  • 2013-14: 17.7 pts, 6.1 ast, 4.2 reb, 1.2 stl
  • 2014-15: 17.3 pts, 5.1 ast, 3.5 reb, 1.4 stl
  • 2015-16: 16.8 pts, 5.2 ast, 3.6 reb, 1.8 stl

His best season to date has been 2013-14 and that’s because the team signed big man Al Jefferson that year, giving Walker another star to work along side of.

As you can see, there is certainly nothing lacking in his numbers. One of Walker’s biggest strengths is his ability to drive the lane with his speed. He can get by his defender and finish with crafty floaters or layups on a nightly basis.

So why doesn’t anyone pay attention to Kemba Walker? One big reason is because the Hornets are in the same conference as LeBron James and the Cavs, who obviously take a lot of the publicity. Also, they are not known for recent playoff success having only made the postseason twice in the last 10 seasons, both ending in sweeps.

Even if a player puts up big numbers, it’s hard to gain recognition if their team does not make some noise.

However, with a better team around him in the 2015-16 season, Walker and his Hornets are starting to gain a little momentum.

Though they still aren’t ready to be a top team in the East, they gained a few key players during the offseason like Nicolas Batum, Spencer Hawes, Jeremy Lin and recently drafted Frank Kaminsky, whose 2014-15 season with Wisconsin was nothing less than amazing.

Next: Nicolas Batum Is Thriving With The Hornets

Kemba Walker has been arguably one of the most consistent players over the past few seasons even though he flies under the radar in Charlotte. At the age of 25, his best years are ahead of him and he will be a force once he enters his prime. It’s time for him to get some more credit for his high level of play.

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