Juke Skywalker - The Kemba Walker Thread II

[fatlever]

kemba's year road splits after recent west coast swing

14.4ppg, 5.2apg, 37.8%, 27.2% on threes

numbers for 4 game road trip

12.2ppg, 7.2apg, 29.1%, 25.0% on threes

[BlackOutBuzz]

Boredom...Home Kemba vs. Away Kemba since the All-star break.

Home: 17.71 pts, 2.29 TO, 1.57 Ffs, 1.86 stls, .57 blks, 4.57 asts, 3.43 rebs, .81 FT%, .28 3P%, .44 FG%

Away: 17.00 pts, 2.63 TO, 1.25 fls, 2.75 stls, 0.00 blks, 6.25 asts, 2.75 rebs, .61 FT%, .29 3p%, .37 FG%

So points and rebounds are down on the road but steals an assists are up during away games. The biggest difference though is that FT%, yuck.

The bigger differences fall between February and March, his percentages are down across the board. His 3P% cut in half between the two months (42% to 21%). Not all bad though, his assist numbers are up 1.5 per game game, while his points are down by about 2.5 (if you consider that each assist is worth at least 2 points, then that's a positive tradeoff). He's also averaging more steals and less TOs this month.

[JT2006]

FT% makes sense. You'd expect a drop there, I bet the league average is like 5-10% lower on away games

[HornetJail]

So Kemba is a better passer and defender on the road but his percentages fall off a cliff away. The FT% in particular shocks me. 61% is Rajon Rondo bad. He's been in a shooting slump the whole month of March and a lot of our games were on the road, I'm sure that is a lot of it.

[vorbis]

trying to figure out the most significant development in kemba's game in his 2nd season besides having the ball in his hands more - i am thinking how dynamite he is at that little 18 foot pull up jumper, or how he's taking and making 3's at a not-horrible rate.

[catch20two]

Personally I don't think there's much of a difference in Kemba's game from this year and last year other than the fact that Dunlap is not running the UCLA high post offense that Silas ran and encouraging him to be a leader which in turn is giving him confidence. Having a year of experience under his belt doesn't hurt either. I believe that Kemba easily could've averaged at least 15 points, 5 assist, and 3 rebounds his rookie campaign on over 40% shooting if Augustin wasn't in the way and Silas was a better coach. Outside of the sub 40% shooting his rookie year wasn't so bad actually.

[HornetJail]

Kemba's D has improved dramatically as well this season. He couldn't defend last season either. His entire game has transformed this year, he's playing with more confidence, is becoming a leader, and his shot, more than anything else is much more accurate.

[messed_up_todd]

Personally I don't think there's much of a difference in Kemba's game from this year and last year other than the fact that Dunlap is not running the UCLA high post offense that Silas ran and encouraging him to be a leader which in turn is giving him confidence. Having a year of experience under his belt doesn't hurt either. I believe that Kemba easily could've averaged at least 15 points, 5 assist, and 3 rebounds his rookie campaign on over 40% shooting if Augustin wasn't in the way and Silas was a better coach. Outside of the sub 40% shooting his rookie year wasn't so bad actually.

I feel like Kemba's jumpshot has improved from last year, especially from 3

[catch20two]

I think his improved jumpshot is more so attributed to the confidence that Dunlap placed in him this season. The midrange jumpshot no matter the difficulty was his bread and butter during the title run at UConn but it didn't translate over to the NBA well his rookie year because he was unsure of himself. Of course the strenuous work that he put in on the jumpshot over the Summer helped but he's still very similar to UConn Kemba if you ask me. I'm not the biggest Dunlap fan but I can give him credit for that because it was obvious that Silas had no faith in Kemba as a starting PG like most naysayers.

[LamarMatic7]

Zach Lowe wrote some stuff on Kemba and our pathetic front-line in his last column

10. The Stunted Distribution Skills of Kemba Walker

Walker has upped his scoring efficiency, a very encouraging sign in Charlotte. But his assist rate hasn't increased at all over his rookie mark, and his passing game, especially out of the pick-and-roll, has sort of stalled out. Walker has a tendency to either pull up right away for an open jumper or drive hard into the lane, where he can get out of control and trap himself in tight spaces. The in-between game — the hesitation dribbles, the smart manipulation of space — still eludes him, as it does many young point guards.

Walker is the victim of a lot of mitigating circumstances here. Charlotte has huge problems spacing the floor, especially when both Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson are on the bench, and Walker is working with what has to be one of the very worst offensive front lines in NBA history. There isn't even an average high-volume finishing threat among Bismack Biyombo, Brendan Haywood, Byron Mullens, Jeff Adrien, Tyrus Thomas, Josh McRoberts, and DeSagana Diop. Good luck racking up dimes when you're dropping the ball off to those guys. Charlotte needs a big in the worst way.

[ball teacher]

on the Real GM wiretap Dunlap was discussed and it read...

Mike Dunlap was hired by the Charlotte Bobcats to improve their player development.

With Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker playing well of late, his impact has been tangible.

“I was brought in to develop players,” Dunlap said when asked about the improved play of Henderson. “His development is not deniable. So is Kemba’s.”

I have a serious problem with this for a couple of reasons. Developing Kemba and Henderson should be done in the context of trying to develop and improve the entire team. This isn't the D-league, this whole season was basically about trying to make Kemba be a good player and to improve Henderson's game when there is a very good chance Henderson will bolt when it's time to get a re-up on the contract. And what about MKG? Where does he factor in all of this? We are really sacrificing losing to make fans think Kemba really has a chance of being some all star type of PG when in reality he is more suited to be a scoring back up like Nate Robinson or Jason Terry.

We have too many players who need to learn the game, Biyombo, Mullens, MKG, Taylor but we brought this guy (Dunlap) in who is using a offense that allows this team to pad Kemba's stats while we lose games and show very little growth as a cohesive unit. I have no problem with developing Kemba to be a pure PG, but what we're doing isn't that, it's a system that allows him easier opportunities to score the ball. I understand what's going on though, we want a marquee guy to fill the stands while we lose games that's all that matters until Cho can fix this thing up. This team isn't as bad as the record shows, we just don't play the game the right way and now we all know why. I'd rather we just tank by letting the young guys all get 30 plus minutes a game taking a bulk of the shots and learning on the fly, instead of letting Sessions and BG chuck away and letting Kemba play "do as I please with the rock"

[Liver_Pooty]

It isnt as if he is just developing Walker, and Henderson. He is in fact trying to develop the entire team. Why else would Biyombo start over Haywood the entire season? Why else would Mullens continue getting big minutes although he would only play well 3 games out of 8 or 9? Not to mention that MKG is actually beginning to actually hit jump shots now.

[Elden Payton]

Please stop comparing Kemba to Nate Robinson.

Also what does Kemba have to do to prove he is not stat padding? Was he stat padding in the final three minutes yesterday?

[Eoghan]

It isnt as if he is just developing Walker, and Henderson. He is in fact trying to develop the entire team. Why else would Biyombo start over Haywood the entire season? Why else would Mullens continue getting big minutes although he would only play well 3 games out of 8 or 9? Not to mention that MKG is actually beginning to actually hit jump shots now.

Well, Haywood is the worst big on our roster now, excluding Tyrus. That's right, Diop>Driftwood. /Haywood hating

Anyway, I think Kemba is vastly improved but if he's going to be our for sure PG of the future he needs to work on his distributing skills. Unfortunately, we don't really have any bigs for him to really work P&R with and no shooters to knock down threes or drive by defenders.

[ball teacher]

Please stop comparing Kemba to Nate Robinson.

Also what does Kemba have to do to prove he is not stat padding? Was he stat padding in the final three minutes yesterday?

Stop comparing them? Their both short SG's who've been converted to play the point, I don't know who else you can use to say Kemba is similar to. Isaiah Thomas (the Piston great)? Steve Nash? Kevin Johnson? Chris Paul? It is what it is, and for the record I think Kemba closed the show very well vs Wall. I say his stats are padded because as Dunlap said weeks ago, he was brought in to coach because he wanted to use a system that would be beneficial for Kemba's style of play. If the Kings brought in a coach to allow Jimmer to shoot at will how do you think he'd do? Or if Nate Robinson had the green light in Chicago how would his numbers look? Remember the Charlotte Observer had this piece...

Following the worst season in NBA history (7-59), Bobcats management chose a new coach whose primary sales pitch was making Kemba Kemba again. A colleague of Hicks’ at St. John’s, Dunlap promoted an offense full of the drag screens that freed Walker all the way back at Rice High.
It was an easy sell, and Walker thrived, averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals. As president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said at midseason, Walker has the keys to the car.

Liver_Pooty, this is why I said it appears we're more focused on just Kemba compared to the other young guys. MKG can barely break 20 minutes a game, Biyombo has long spells of no play and no touches on the offensive end. Mullens started the year doing nothing but shooting 3 pointers, he has regressed badly under the tutelage of Dunlap who as the Charlotte observer already revealed, his main selling point was improving Kemba's play. If Dunlap is fired and another coach comes in it's no way we'll have a whole offense set around Kemba shooting off of multiple high picks, and it'll be another season of Kemba having to figure out how to be a true point guard.

[ball teacher]

Anyway, I think Kemba is vastly improved but if he's going to be our for sure PG of the future he needs to work on his distributing skills. Unfortunately, we don't really have any bigs for him to really work P&R with and no shooters to knock down threes or drive by defenders.

Dave this is basically my point, let's show him how to play the game the right way, Kemba's short but he's quick and isn't selfish, why not have him learn to play like Steve Nash, or some other short but quick pg who could score but knew how to run the offense? I know we don't have good bigs around Kemba but we don't have bums, Henderson, MKG, Taylor can all finish strong around the rim. BG can shoot, Mullens has ok range, we have decent players just a bad vision for the future, but it's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Liver_Pooty]

Anyway, I think Kemba is vastly improved but if he's going to be our for sure PG of the future he needs to work on his distributing skills. Unfortunately, we don't really have any bigs for him to really work P&R with and no shooters to knock down threes or drive by defenders.

Dave this is basically my point, let's show him how to play the game the right way, Kemba's short but he's quick and isn't selfish, why not have him learn to play like Steve Nash, or some other short but quick pg who could score but knew how to run the offense? I know we don't have good bigs around Kemba but we don't have bums, Henderson, MKG, Taylor can all finish strong around the rim. BG can shoot, Mullens has ok range, we have decent players just a bad vision for the future, but it's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

With all due respect, most of the players you mentioned would not start for 80% of the teams in the league as of right now. Henderson and MKG have upside, BG and Mullens are strictly bench players, and Taylor needs a ton of work right now in my opinion. Thankfully we will be replacing Diop and Williams with NBA level talent over the off season, Thomas hopefully as well.

[Eoghan]

Anyway, I think Kemba is vastly improved but if he's going to be our for sure PG of the future he needs to work on his distributing skills. Unfortunately, we don't really have any bigs for him to really work P&R with and no shooters to knock down threes or drive by defenders.

Dave this is basically my point, let's show him how to play the game the right way, Kemba's short but he's quick and isn't selfish, why not have him learn to play like Steve Nash, or some other short but quick pg who could score but knew how to run the offense? I know we don't have good bigs around Kemba but we don't have bums, Henderson, MKG, Taylor can all finish strong around the rim. BG can shoot, Mullens has ok range, we have decent players just a bad vision for the future, but it's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

LP more or less summed it up but I'll put it a different way.

I don't really disagree with you, I'd love for Kemba to play like a true floor general but he just doesn't have the pieces around him yet. On P&R Mullens, Biz, Haywood and Adrien are poor finishers for various reasons. McBob is leaps and bounds our best P&R man but defenses don't have to worry about him popping out b/c he's a poor shooter so they can shut the roll down pretty easily. Mullens can pick and pop but can't roll, the rest can't do either. I'd love for Dunlap to just say "Eff it" and work P&R with Mullens and Biz anyway because they can't get better if they don't try.

When Kemba penetrates, he rarely has shooters worth kicking it out to. Now, Mullens, BG, and once a blue moon Taylor can shoot but if the open shot isn't there and they have a defender running at them they lack the skills to beat them off the dribble and finish usually. Hendo and MKG can punish defenders running at them but lack the shooting ability to actually draw the defender hard at them. If Hendo can continue to cause defenders to respect his 3pt ability it would vastly improve our offense. This is why Sessions has been so good for us, he is one of the few guards we have that can slash and dependably knock down open shots which is vital to great ball movement.

TL;DR Kemba is surrounded by players that aren't triple threats.

[Stun704]

Anyway, I think Kemba is vastly improved but if he's going to be our for sure PG of the future he needs to work on his distributing skills. Unfortunately, we don't really have any bigs for him to really work P&R with and no shooters to knock down threes or drive by defenders.

Dave this is basically my point, let's show him how to play the game the right way, Kemba's short but he's quick and isn't selfish, why not have him learn to play like Steve Nash, or some other short but quick pg who could score but knew how to run the offense? I know we don't have good bigs around Kemba but we don't have bums, Henderson, MKG, Taylor can all finish strong around the rim. BG can shoot, Mullens has ok range, we have decent players just a bad vision for the future, but it's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Isiah Zeke Thomas

[KembaWalker]

Kemba under Dunlaps development plan could easily become a 22/4/8 PG. that would cement him as a top PG.

not that its relevant, PGs don't win championships on their own, we have real holes to fill