There is a good chance that Kemba Walker will become the Charlotte Hornets’ all-time leading scorer by the end of the 2017-18 season.
After passing Dell Curry for the most three-point shots made in franchise history, Kemba Walker will be chasing another all-time record in the second half of the season. The two-time all-star point guard is chasing Curry for the Charlotte Hornets‘ scoring record. Taking a close look at the numbers suggest that he may be able to reach that feat before the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
Dell Curry totaled 9,839 points in 10 seasons with the Queen City team. He has held the top spot since his last game with the franchise in 1998. The player who got closest to Dell was Gerald Wallace who ended with 7,437 points scored for Charlotte.
Kemba has climbed the ranks over the past seven years and has been gaining ground quickly on the Hornets’ legend. Entering the All-Star Break, Walker sits at 9,394 points which only puts him 445 points behind Curry. With 25 games left in the season, the 27-year old will need to average 17.8 points per game in order to pass Dell before the end of the year.
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Considering that Kemba is averaging 22.9 points per game this season, this feat should be doable. If Walker stays healthy, there is no reason why he shouldn’t catch Curry before the end of the season. If Walker continues scoring at this clip, it should take him only 20 more games to become the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer.
That means that it could happen against the Washington Wizards on March 31st which is an away game for Charlotte. Although, if he ups his scoring or slows down then it could take one game less or more for him to pass Dell. So it could happen at home versus the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 28th or when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on April 1st.
It took Curry 701 games to reach 9,839 points but at Kemba’s current pace, he should do so in only about 518 games.
Walker already holds some franchise records like the most points scored in a single game (52 vs the Jazz in 2016) and most three-point field goals made in a single game (9 vs the Hawks in 2018).
Another record within reach this season is most free throws made in team history. Gerald Wallace currently holds that record with 1998 but Kemba is right on his tail with 1920 makes from the charity stripe. It should take him about 17 games if he continues his current trend of 4.8 free throws made per game.
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When it’s all said and done for Kemba, he should hold multiple franchise records. It will all depend on how long Walker stays with the team. One thing that is certain is that he has cemented his name among the Charlotte greats and Hornets’ legends.