Charlotte Hornets: Is Kemba Walker an All-Star starter?

With All-Star voting beginning tomorrow, has Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker proven enough to be considered a starter for the All-Star game?

If you were to ask around the league, there would be very little doubt that Kemba Walker will make his third consecutive All-Star appearance. The question is whether he will be a starter for the event, or continue to be a reserve. Regardless, the Charlotte Hornets star has proven that he belongs with the NBA’s best.

While I’d love to see Kemba Walker as a starter for the All-Star game, which will be hosted in Charlotte this year, it really doesn’t matter. Whether he does get in as a starter or gets in as a reserve, it’s still among the highest honors you can achieve in basketball.

Walker is averaging a career-high 24.8 points and also a career-high 6.2 assists for the Charlotte Hornets. He’s led them to a record of 16-16, which is currently good for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

You’d look at those numbers and think ‘wow, how can he not be an All-Star starter?’ Well, I’ll tell you why. The Eastern Conference has a ton of talented guards, such as Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry, who just so happen to be on two of the top-five teams in the Eastern Conference.

Not to mention Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal and even Ben Simmons, who are all well-deserving of the All-Star starter title as well.

Despite the talent and competition among the Eastern Conference guards, we must remember that the starters are voted by the fans. With the All-Star game and festivities being held in Charlotte this year, hopefully the fans can come together and tally a lot of votes for Walker.

You can make the case that he’s been the best point guard in the Eastern Conference this season. Obviously, team success factors into a lot, but the Hornets have consistently been in the playoff race this season.

Last season, Kemba Walker wasn’t even originally named among the reserves for the All-Star game. However, Walker did eventually replace Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks since he was nursing an ACL injury at the time. It was his second All-Star appearance.

This year, he’s shooting for his third All-Star selection and I’d consider him a lock. He’s been a superstar for the Hornets this season, and even though he has been slumping a bit after a sizzling start, he’s still been the heartbeat for Charlotte, no question about it.

With all of these All-Star games under his belt, he’s building quite the resume. His Charlotte Hornets legacy is growing every single day.

You can vote for Kemba Walker and other NBA stars you feel are deserving by going to NBA.com or on the NBA app. Voting begins tomorrow morning at 11:00 ET. Let’s get Kemba Walker named as an All-Star starter, Hornets fans!