NBA Draft: Every team’s best all-time selection in the lottery

Best NBA Draft Lottery pick: Charlotte Hornets, Kemba Walker

After years of losing seasons and horrid basketball play, Kemba Walker joined the then Charlotte Bobcats via the team’s 9th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. It did not take him long to uplift the franchise to better days.

Walker’s play style as a point guard provided highlight-reel plays and exquisite basketball showings for a fanbase that had longed for this kind of elite play. He wowed with his on-ball movement and ability to get to his spots on the floor with ease.

Despite his size, Walker found ways to maneuver his way past taller guards and forwards en route to scoring effortless baskets. Even as the team was still a perennial bottom half of the Eastern Conference team, fans knew that they could continually rely on Walker to provide showcase performances on a game-by-game basis.

Walker had plenty of standout moments while with Charlotte, including his 60-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers over his final season with the team. While the Hornets came away with the defeat in the game, Walker shot 61.8 percent from the floor and took a potent 76ers team to overtime.

This was just one of Walker’s many impressive scoring outings during his eight-year run with the Hornets.

It is unfortunate for the Hornets that they did not have any other standout lottery picks during Walker’s run with the team. He clearly did not have much in the tank to carry them by himself to a top-four standing in the Eastern Conference. But at the least, he did what he could to give Hornets fans winning basketball.

Kemba Walker Charlotte Hornets stats and accomplishments

• 605 games, 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists per game
• 3X All-Star, 2019 All-NBA