Alumni Profile: Kemba Walker

Looking Back: Kemba Walker had an average start to the season but really turned it on after the All-Star break.  With little talent around him, he had to shoulder a lot of the offensive responsibility and with a more wide open attack, Walker flourished.  He was given the green light to attack whenever he felt and it opened up his game tremendously. His team still floundered in mediocrity though, but Walker proved that he could shoulder the point guard duties and also provide much needed points.

The Good: Walker has a fantastic handle and can dribble in and out of trouble.  He also has a great first step and change of direction.  He’s a pure scorer and finds a variety of ways to get points from his quick release, mid-range game, to putting constant pressure on the defense by attacking lanes. He is undeniably UConn’s most competitive alumni and hates losing more than anything else. 

The Bad: His size will always cause issues for him.  It is hard to see all the passing lanes when he is in traffic.  He also doesn’t have a soft shot and it tends to bounce hard off the rim which doesn’t help his 3-point shots.  While he does have good court vision, it still could improve.  He is a hybrid guard and at times he gets into a 2-guard role instead of playing the point.

Looking Ahead: The Bobcats did a great job of adding more pieces around Walker and hopefully it will pay off with more wins.  This year will be important for Kemba to see if he is just a stat stuffer on a bad team or can he lead his team with great numbers that also lead to victories.  This season will be important for him because at this point, he should be emerging from a work in progress to a consistent NBA player.