Here’s why Kemba Walker leaving in free agency is best for him, Hornets in long run
Don’t blame Kemba Walker if he runs far, far away.
The Charlotte Hornets All-Star surely can’t wait until the summer, when NBA free agency begins and he’s unrestricted and can finally get out of the Queen City. Though I think he’s as good as gone, I don’t think it’s a knock on the city.
He’s hung in there as the Hornets year after year have seemed to be a team destined to at least make a playoff appearance in an Eastern Conference that annually features a bottom half that shouldn’t scare anyone. Yet, here we are once again with Charlotte sitting on the outside looking in with a little over a dozen games left to play.
Surely he’s had enough — even if he recently said otherwise.
The franchise has been an embarrassment since being reincarnated as the Charlotte Bobcats for the 2004-2005 season. In 14 years, the franchise has made three playoff appearances, each as a sixth or seventh seed that lost in the first round. Nonetheless, at least they got in those years.
Going into the 2014-15 season, the Hornets name, mascot and all made a triumphant return. Perhaps this was when the new Charlotte franchise — the original Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002 — would make the likes of Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues proud.
Not even close. The team has made the playoffs once in the past four seasons, getting in as a sixth seed in 2015-16. Each other season the Hornets finished 10th or worse in the East.
They have been the epitome of a team in NBA purgatory: good enough to be competitive but bad enough to either no make the playoffs or get in as an unrealistic threat. In this nightmare scenario, you rarely get a lottery pick who is destined to become a star; therefore, the future looks like a scene from “Groundhog Day.”
It’s the worst spot you can be in.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the likes of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, Noah Vonleh, Frank Kaminsky, Malachi Richardson and Malik Monk have not proven to be cornerstone first-round picks to build around.
For Walker, that’s meant eight seasons of team mediocrity or worse despite the fact he’s played at or near an All-Star level most of those years. Walker has been named an All-Star three times, but he likely would have made it more times if his team didn’t underachieve.
Yet, there he sits, wasting away many of his best years with a franchise that can’t seem to make any progress. For the last couple seasons there were rumors that he’d get traded and that would have been the best-case scenario for all. Yet, with Charlotte always within striking distance of those final few playoff seeds, the Hornets haven’t pulled the trigger.
Can all the blame go to the great Michael Jordan? I don’t know.
However, someone up there making decisions is too afraid to let go. But this summer they’ll likely have to as Walker will be tempted with greener pastures.
It’s a shame it came to this, because some fans will look at him as the bad guy if he leaves on his own volition. Instead, they should point to missteps from ownership to the front office for the reason he’ll soon be gone.
Perhaps I’m jumping the gun considering the Hornets are still within a game and a half of the eight spot. Could they still get in the playoffs? Sure. Will it matter in the grand scheme of things? No.
Could Walker stay? Perhaps.
Either way, it looks like Charlotte will be on the road to rebuilding several years too late or in line to remain in purgatory. A lot of seasons have been wasted and there’s no redos.
Remember that year when the then-Bobcats finished a strike-shortened season with an NBA all-time worst .106 winning percentage?
Sadly, with Zion Williamson set to enter the league next season, that kind of looks like an enviable spot right about now.
