4. Clutch Performer?
Jerry Stephens:
Kemba Walker gets my vote once again. He may have missed his fair share of last minute shots but he was never afraid to take them. If it was a close game down the stretch, there was no question who was going to take the shot. The ball was always in Walker’s hands and he would be the player to take the buzzer beater. Courtney Lee’s game winning three in the playoffs against Miami was maybe the clutchest shot of the year for the team but Kemba was consistently clutch.
Deshawn White:
Kemba… AND Courtney Lee are for sure the front runners. Lee was a steady contributor for the Hornets during his time and really helped the team secure at least two wins in the postseason, but Cardiac Kemba has that clutch ability that just stands out. He can seemingly take over games or drain a game winner, whichever needs to happen. Whether he makes it or not is debatable, but what’s not debatable is that he will always be ready and willing to take the last shot if needed.
Laieke Abebe:
Courtney Lee made some huge plays down the stretch in his short stay with the Hornets. Yes, the Hornets didn’t win their playoff series with the Miami Heat but the Hornets had a chance to win because of him. From his clutch rebound in game 4 to the winning shot in game 5, Lee was very dependable in big game moments and the Knicks will certainly like him.
Luke Spencer:
God help any team that allows Kemba to get hot in the 4th quarter. There’s no other Hornet on the team I would rather have with the ball in his hands with the game clock winding down than Mr. Kemba Walker. He relishes being the hero and has proven his mettle time and time again.
To drive the point home, just go to YouTube and type the words “Kemba Walker” and “Game Winner” together. My personal favorite is watching him make the game-winning shot against Toronto in OT a couple of years ago live. It’s hard to imagine the Hornets without the gutsy/feisty PG play of Kemba. He’s the unquestioned de-facto leader of the Charlotte Hornets.
Max Seng:
For all of this talk of pace and space in the league centering around ball movement, player movement and balanced scoring, each contender still needs a guy they can just say in the huddle, “go get us a bucket, or create one for somebody else.” Kemba is our guy, and he’s made a living the past couple seasons doing just that. There’s guys who relish the moment and want that pressure but don’t have the ability, and vice versa. Elite closers have both, and Kemba is one of them in this league. In fact, Walker and Isaiah Thomas of the Celtics are likely the smallest go-to guys on their teams, something that further validates their skills, ability and mindset.
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