Charlotte Hornets: Elfrid Payton praises Kemba Walker’s offensive ability
Not only is Kemba Walker the Charlotte Hornets’ best scorer but he has turned himself into one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league.
In a recent HoopsHype article, several NBA players named who they thought were among the toughest modern-day scorers to defend. Orlando Magic point guard, Elfrid Payton, listed Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker. The Charlotte Hornets‘ all-star has developed into one of the best scoring guards in the NBA.
Elfrid’s full quote read: “First off, I’d probably say Russell Westbrook. He’s tough because he’s always going 100 miles per hour and is always a threat to score. Second, personally, I’d go with Steph Curry because he’s constantly moving, coming off screens, things like that. Even without the ball, he’s always coming off screens. Then, Kyrie Irving. I’d say Kemba [Walker] is tough too. He can really handle the ball, he looks for his shot and he can really shoot it.”
To put Kemba up there with some of the best players in the league, including two MVP’s, shows how highly Payton thinks of Walker’s game. It makes sense since the two division rivals see each other four times a season.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Kemba has played a total of 23 career games against Orlando. In those outings, he’s averaged 19.6 points per game. Since Elfrid entered the league with the Magic in 2014, the two point guards have faced off ten times with Walker putting up 22.2 PPG and 6.5 APG with Charlotte winning seven of the ten meetings. (RealGM.com)
Kemba has really stepped up his game against his Orlando Magic counterpart as he’s scored 40+ points twice on the Louisiana native.
This praise falls in line with what Payton said about a year ago when he told Alex Kennedy that “Kemba Walker is the NBA’s hardest player to guard.” (Twitter.com)
Kemba has always been a dynamic scorer but for the past two seasons, he’s taken his game to the next level and become even more dangerous and efficient. In 2016-17, he managed to average a career-high 23.2 points per game while upping his shooting numbers to 44.4% from the field and 39.9% from three.
Walker’s lightning quick speed, dribble moves, ability to finish in traffic and now the skill to knock down outside shots has made him one of the most potent scorers in the NBA. He has carried the Charlotte Hornets’ offense through large stretches over the past six seasons and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Next: A look at Charlotte's most potent duos
Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant received plenty of love from their peers while retired players LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan among others.