Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker to be Shut Down for the Rest of the Season
Kemba Walker‘s season looks like it will be ending early as the Charlotte Hornets will shut him down for the final two games of the year.
According to Chris Kroeger, “PG Kemba Walker out final 2 games of year as precaution – left knee soreness.” After suffering an injury scare in the Charlotte Hornets‘ game against the Boston Celtics, the team decided it was best to shut down their all-star point guard. This ensures that Kemba won’t pick up a serious injury in a meaningless game.
Charlotte will close out the regular season on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. Brian Roberts is the likely candidate to fill in for Walker as the team’s starting point guard with Briante Weber getting the backup minutes. Even though Ramon Sessions hasn’t played since February 1st because of knee surgery, he could be active for the final two games as an emergency option.
With the Hornets already being eliminated from playoff contention, it is in their best interest to preserve Kemba going forward. After all, Walker leads the team in minutes per game and he has only missed one game this season. He has played more minutes, by far, than any other player on the team this year. (NBA.com)
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The 26-year old will end the season averaging 23.2 points per game, 5.5 assists per game and 3.9 rebounds per game. Kemba averaged a career-high in points while shooting 44.3% from the field and 39.9% from three. Even though the Hornets’ have struggled this year, their all-star point guard has been a consistent bright spot.
Not only did he average a career-best in points per game but Walker also recorded the second most points a single season in Hornets’ history with 1,830 and the second most three’s made with 240. He will finish just short of Jason Richardson‘s record of 243 set back in 2007-08 season.
Hopefully, Kemba’s knee soreness is only that and nothing more serious. He recently had surgery last offseason to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. That news came after no warning or indication that he had suffered such an injury.
Next: Offseason Moves the Hornets Should Make
The Charlotte Hornets’ final two games of the season are essentially meaningless for them as their fate is already sealed to the lottery. Although, their opponents will still be battling for positioning and seeding in the postseason. Kemba Walker had a year to remember.