1. Kemba Walker
Kemba…. what can I say about Kemba? The 2X All-Star was ice cold heading into the 4th quarter, with only 8 points. Some three-pointers went down, a couple of mid-range shots made, and he caught fire.
Kemba’s performance in crunch time tonight reminds us of how good he really is, and how lucky we are to have him here with the Charlotte Hornets. If it was not for the missed game-winning attempt at the end of regulation, the tone of this would be very different.
Even without the win, “The Captain” showed us why he is the focal point of this franchise. With recent news coming out that the Hornets are not accepting trade offers for Kemba, it makes Hornets fans smile to know that this guy is going to be ours for a long time (hoping he resigns for big money).
For the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, as well as overtime, the Hornets looked to Kemba at the top of the key, continuously trying to free him up with the pick-and-roll. If this game had ended in a victory, this would go down as one of Kemba’s signature games in a Hornets uniform.
If he can just start a little sooner, and take complete control from the tip, there is no doubt in my mind he could score 60+ in a game this season.
Kemba finished with 30 points in the loss. He added seven rebounds and eight assists in 40 tough minutes of action.
You can guarantee that Kemba will mostly be at the top of this list after most games, but the ones who fall behind him are usually random. If somehow Jimmy Butler could find his way into a Hornets uniform this season…..look out.
Tonight was a classic example of shooting out of a cold streak. Kemba is our star, and when he shoots and misses, I am okay with letting him shoot out of it because eventually, they will fall when they matter.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1061053886079909889
On another note, Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum were very underwhelming tonight. Nic played only 16 minutes while Marvin played 14. Nic had just five points while Marvin had three points.
They did not see time late in the 4th, and stayed on the bench in overtime. Is change coming to the Hornets starting lineup?