Kemba Walker Will Do Everything He Can to Carry the Charlotte Hornets Into the Playoffs
Kemba Walker will literally do everything in his power to somehow will the Charlotte Hornets into the postseason this year.
It is no secret that Kemba Walker is the Charlotte Hornets‘ best player and he has carried them to a number of wins this season. There is no doubting his great scoring ability. With the year winding down and the team’s playoff hopes wearing thin, the All-Star point guard is going to leave it all on the court as he attempts to push them into the postseason.
Nothing speaks more to this than in the Hornets’ recent victory over the Denver Nuggets. Steve Clifford usually sits Kemba at the beginning of the fourth quarter to get him a few minutes of rest before closing out the final seven or so minutes of games. But against Denver, Walker chose to play the entire second half.
According to Justin Thomas, “Kemba played the entire second half, Clifford said Kemba told him at the end of the 3Q he wasn’t coming out.” The 26-year old ended up playing 40 minutes and scoring a game-high 31 points on route to leading the Hornets to a much-needed win. This was the first time Walker has played the entire second half this season but his uptick in minutes is nothing new. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he continues to play 40+ minutes a game and not sit out entire halves going forward.
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He’s already averaging 34.7 minutes per game on the season but that number is up to 35.3 over the last eight outings. In those past eight games, Charlotte’s gone 6-2 and has battled their way back into the playoff picture. The team’s now past the Detroit Pistons for the 10th seed and are only two games back of both the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat for the eighth seed.
Walker is leading the Hornets by averaging 23.6 points per game over that stretch while the next closest player in Frank Kaminsky is nearly averaging 10 points less at 13.9 per game. (NBA.com) While it does help when Charlotte gets bench production and other starters score in double-figures, it isn’t something that they can count on consistently. For a majority of the season, Kemba has single handily led the team but even more so now down the final stretch of the year.
With only six games left in the season, the Hornets have an 8% chance of making the playoffs. (ESPN.com) The odds aren’t in their favor and Charlotte will likely have to win out to even have the slimmest of chances. While it is improbable, it isn’t impossible. Especially with Walker on their side.
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Kemba has already proven that he is a star in today’s NBA. He has the ability to put the Charlotte Hornets on his back and carry them into the playoffs. Expect Walker to empty the tank as he will likely play more minutes than ever before and try his best to somehow lead this underperforming team into the postseason.