Leap Year - The Kemba Walker Thread III

[fatlever]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/1/20/10799110/kemba-walker-improvements-shooting-charlotte-hornets-highlights

[yosemiteben]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/1/20/10799110/kemba-walker-improvements-shooting-charlotte-hornets-highlights

Walker's three-point shooting from the top of the key is up to 47 percent after tumbling to 35 percent last year.

That is damn impressive.

[tonman]

That game was so **** sick in person. A few questionable decisions were made, but you can hardly blame a guy for anything when he puts the team on his back and gets 52/9/8 in a W. If Kemba isn't an all-star this year, I'll be pissed.

there is a difference between putting a team on your back and just simply taking a lot of shots. the team shot at the same percentage as kemba so it would have been just as great a performance if he hat 36/9/16.

kemba started 9-13 and finished 7-21. yes he scored. yes he scored big buckets. the question is whether or not his teammates could have made those baskets and you can't say no on that.

[fatlever]

That game was so **** sick in person. A few questionable decisions were made, but you can hardly blame a guy for anything when he puts the team on his back and gets 52/9/8 in a W. If Kemba isn't an all-star this year, I'll be pissed.

there is a difference between putting a team on your back and just simply taking a lot of shots. the team shot at the same percentage as kemba so it would have been just as great a performance if he hat 36/9/16.

kemba started 9-13 and finished 7-21. yes he scored. yes he scored big buckets. the question is whether or not his teammates could have made those baskets and you can't say no on that.

Teammates possibly shot a high % because they were playing 4 vs 3 since Kemba drew a double team pretty much the entire 2nd half and OT. Kemba also went 14-of-15 from the FT.

I don't understand the need to try and take away from Kemba's big game.

[Liver_Pooty]

Putting Kemba down because he has completely outplayed Lin this year is ridiculous.

[tonman]

That game was so **** sick in person. A few questionable decisions were made, but you can hardly blame a guy for anything when he puts the team on his back and gets 52/9/8 in a W. If Kemba isn't an all-star this year, I'll be pissed.

there is a difference between putting a team on your back and just simply taking a lot of shots. the team shot at the same percentage as kemba so it would have been just as great a performance if he hat 36/9/16.

kemba started 9-13 and finished 7-21. yes he scored. yes he scored big buckets. the question is whether or not his teammates could have made those baskets and you can't say no on that.

Teammates possibly shot a high % because they were playing 4 vs 3 since Kemba drew a double team pretty much the entire 2nd half and OT. Kemba also went 14-of-15 from the FT.

I don't understand the need to try and take away from Kemba's big game.

Of course Kemba had a great game. And we're back to square 1 with this team. We need to change the culture of this team and play team ball. If all you want is a star player to cheer fall, see how well the Lakers are doing. There is not enough talent on this team to do anything but possibly make the playoffs as an 8th seed. Even with MKG back, things are not going to be that different. 45 wins might not make the playoffs this year. Have to establish a system. What happens if Kemba goes down? Is it Lin or Batum shooting 36 times? What makes the Warriors and Spurs special is that their stars goes down, their replacement plays the same style so the team doesn't change their approach. Kemba goes down what now?

And if Kemba was getting double teamed constantly, he should be passing the ball constantly.....

[tonman]

Putting Kemba down because he has completely outplayed Lin this year is ridiculous.

didn't put Kemba down but you can choose to read into my comments however you want. we as fans have already said no to "hero" ball and Kemba goes "hero" ball and is successful and everyone wants to forget that we do not want "hero" ball.

[phillycheese]

Putting Kemba down because he has completely outplayed Lin this year is ridiculous.

You really are hung up on Lin aren't you? Putting Kemba down can have nothing to do with Lin. Many Hornets fans have been doing this before this year. Having one guy take all the shots and score all the points is not winning basketball. Hornets barely squeeked out a win in 2OT. The argument was last year he had no one to pass to to score, so he had to take it all upon himself. This year he doesn't have that problem, so maybe he needs to look to distribute more. If you don't reward your guys on offense, they are not going to pay defense.

and right now, defense is the issue with this team.

[Liver_Pooty]

Putting Kemba down because he has completely outplayed Lin this year is ridiculous.

You really are hung up on Lin aren't you? Putting Kemba down can have nothing to do with Lin. Many Hornets fans have been doing this before this year. Having one guy take all the shots and score all the points is not winning basketball. Hornets barely squeeked out a win in 2OT. The argument was last year he had no one to pass to to score, so he had to take it all upon himself. This year he doesn't have that problem, so maybe he needs to look to distribute more. If you don't reward your guys on offense, they are not going to pay defense.

and right now, defense is the issue with this team.

I actually don't even post about Lin that much. No need to. Solid role player. I like him. Hope we keep him. He's just not as good as I thought he'd be. Really not a big deal.

[Braggins]

there is a difference between putting a team on your back and just simply taking a lot of shots. the team shot at the same percentage as kemba so it would have been just as great a performance if he hat 36/9/16.

kemba started 9-13 and finished 7-21. yes he scored. yes he scored big buckets. the question is whether or not his teammates could have made those baskets and you can't say no on that.

Teammates possibly shot a high % because they were playing 4 vs 3 since Kemba drew a double team pretty much the entire 2nd half and OT. Kemba also went 14-of-15 from the FT.

I don't understand the need to try and take away from Kemba's big game.

Of course Kemba had a great game. And we're back to square 1 with this team. We need to change the culture of this team and play team ball. If all you want is a star player to cheer fall, see how well the Lakers are doing. There is not enough talent on this team to do anything but possibly make the playoffs as an 8th seed. Even with MKG back, things are not going to be that different. 45 wins might not make the playoffs this year. Have to establish a system. What happens if Kemba goes down? Is it Lin or Batum shooting 36 times? What makes the Warriors and Spurs special is that their stars goes down, their replacement plays the same style so the team doesn't change their approach. Kemba goes down what now?

And if Kemba was getting double teamed constantly, he should be passing the ball constantly.....

Kemba is taking all the shots because our team has been devastated by injuries. Al, Batum, Lin, Lamb, and MKG have been injured. Six of our seven best offensive players have been out with or playing through injuries for at least the last two months.

Besides that hes also just been playing much better than anyone else on the team this year.

[bws94]

Pattern I keep seeing is Kemba takes the shots because he makes the shots. If others are making them, he tends to take less. If he starts making them and he's feeling it, he takes more. There are certainly times when Kemba is taking too many shots and missing guys and as a PG, he should start to develop the vision that a Wall or Westbrook have developed to take his game to the next level. Getting assists on box scores is not the same as really creating for your team. He does some of that, can expand it.

It's true that injuries to Al, Batum, Lamb, Lin and other offensive threats have made Kemba take more scoring responsibilities. But there are games where Batum has scored in the 30s, Lin had his one and a 26 pt game recently, so other guys get opportunities to score. Lamb and Kaminsky have also scored. Batum and Lin are pass-minded a lot of the time too. They'll take shots, but they also tend to look to pass much of the time they're on the floor. The point about Kemba being a PG and looking to pass vs. shoot is the great debate. His improved shot makes him a lethal scorer. He's also finishing very well on drives. Team needs to score, ask Kemba he's doing what the defense gives him. Kemba is young and looking for the balance while fighting old habits.

Solid ball handler, very improved shooter, needs to improve distribution and team involvement. He's getting there. I see him as a starting scoring PG and a very good one. I'd like to see more commitment on the defensive end. But his size limits some of what he can do.

[bws94]

Putting Kemba down because he has completely outplayed Lin this year is ridiculous.

You really are hung up on Lin aren't you? Putting Kemba down can have nothing to do with Lin. Many Hornets fans have been doing this before this year. Having one guy take all the shots and score all the points is not winning basketball. Hornets barely squeeked out a win in 2OT. The argument was last year he had no one to pass to to score, so he had to take it all upon himself. This year he doesn't have that problem, so maybe he needs to look to distribute more. If you don't reward your guys on offense, they are not going to pay defense.

and right now, defense is the issue with this team.

I actually don't even post about Lin that much. No need to. Solid role player. I like him. Hope we keep him. He's just not as good as I thought he'd be. Really not a big deal.

He's as good as you think he is. He's not playing up to his potential. I think "role player", I don't know. Lin is a role player for sure, but he has more 6th man potential and is better utilized as a 6th man if coming off of the bench than "backup" (I like him as 6th man vs. starter). I just wish Kemba and Lin's chemistry was better. They showed glimpses of it in the OT Raptor game (when Batum was out), but they don't really click as well as they could. Batum has done better balancing his game with Kemba's.

Good to see Kemba having no major injury. Just seems to have the usual mid-season wear.

[MasterIchiro]

Kemba is an all-star.

[TinmanZBoy]

this game really boost his chance to be an all star... if the hornets had a better record than celtics, Kemba would have been a shoot in

[Elden Payton]

Kemba has been impressive lately (understatement) and it's not his scoring.

His all around game has improved and it goes to show that when he gets others involved, his own chances to score improve greatly.

He deserves every credit in the world for how he has performed and I really hope he gets the nod for the AS game.

[fatlever]

Nicolas BatumVerified account ‏@nicolas88batum 2h2 hours ago
NBA coach, my PG, Kemba Walker, is available on feb 12-14 and has a passport, so he can travel to Canada !

[fatlever]

Kemba has to be EC player of the week, this week, right?

[Elden Payton]

Kemba has to be EC player of the week, this week, right?

He's averaging something like 38 ppg so I'd hope so!

[fatlever]

Kemba last 15 games: 25.4ppg, 5.3apg, 4.3rpg, 2.0spg, 44.6FG%, 41.6 3PT%
Last 7 home games: 29.7ppg, 48.6FG%, 47.8 3PT%
Last 6 games: 28.8ppg, 5.7apg, 4.3rpg, 2.2spg, 50.0FG%, 50.0 3PT%
Last 3 games: 37.7ppg, 6.3apg, 6.0rpg, 2.7spg, 50.0FG%, 45.5 3PT%

ON FIRE!!!!

[BigSlam]

Keeping everything crossed we are able to retain Batum this summer.


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