Charlotte Hornets: 2017-18 player grades for Kemba Walker

Strengths

Without a doubt, Walker’s greatest strength is his ability to put the ball in the basket. More impressively, he’s increased his scoring output while also improving his efficiency. Walker’s 57.2 true shooting percentage barely eclipsed last year’s 56.9 rate and it’s much improved from his 48.6 percent mark in 2014-15.

Walker’s preferred method of attack was the pick-and-roll/pop. He used it a lot; only Damian Lillard averaged more possessions in pick-and-roll plays as the ball-handler than Walker. He made great use of those plays, as he was one of the most efficient players in those situations, averaging 1.03 points per possession.

Walker performed better in the pick-and-roll this season than the following players: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, John Wall and LeBron James. Three of those names either have been or will be MVP. That gives you an idea of how good Walker was in these circumstances.

With Walker’s improved shooting, defenders could no longer go under screens to deter him from getting to the paint. Now Walker can make defenses pay with his pull-up game, especially from 3, where he shot 38.2 percent.

Walker only averaged 5.6 assists per game this year, but that belies how effective he was passing the rock. He ranked 17th among qualified players in passes per game and averaged 10.5 potential assists per game (21st among qualifiers). So while Walker isn’t the second coming of Jason Kidd, he’s still one of the better facilitators in the association.

Walker isn’t simply getting empty buckets either; he made the Hornets offense substantially better. When Walker wasn’t on the floor, the Hornets’ points per 100 possessions dropped from 112.8 to 104. The team counted on his ability to score from anywhere on the floor and attract attention from other defenders, which made him invaluable to the team’s success.