Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Kemba Walker may have to take on a new duty next season of being a leader for the Charlotte Bobcats. That might be an unusual request considering he has only two years of NBA in his background.
What Walker needs to show a rookie like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is how he was able to, in only his second NBA season, average 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.
Walker didn’t set the world on fire as a Bobcats rookie, but he still did more things than Kidd-Gilchrist did as a first-year player. Plenty was expected of Kidd-Gilchrist in his first NBA season, and for the most part he failed to deliver.
Walker was a different story.
Walker averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. His numbers as a second-year NBA player were better as he improved on his shooting. It was 36.6 percent as a rookie and 42.3 percent as a second-year player.
He went from a respectable player to a highly-feared NBA performer in one season. Walker didn’t necessarily become a brand new player, he just improved in all aspects. He was not content on his freshman season accomplishments, and he was determined to have a better season.
The stats show that Walker was a successful second-year NBA player. The Cats also won more games this season and should win more next year.
During the offseason, Kidd-Gilchrist has to acknowledge that he didn’t play well and needs to get much better. If he becomes a better player, then the Bobcats will become a better team.
