The Kemba Crusade #6- A Kemba Walker/Gary Harris Back Court? Imagine That

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It’s been a very long time since we last Crusaded here on Tru School Sports but nearly a month since TKC #5 we are back in full effect. The NBA playoffs are in its late stages and the NBA draft will soon be upon us. For the Now Charlotte Hornets the name has already paid dividends as they were awarded the 9th pick in the draft as the last part of the Ben Gordon trade just from a few years ago. They had a less than 20% chance of getting that pick and somehow they got it, tortured Charlotte fans such as myself will tell you that the “Bobcats” name was cursed and we never had a chance to win the lottery. I guess this serves as our proof that the “Bobcats” name was cursed but with all that said the Charlotte Hornets now have the 9th pick in the draft so how will they help improve the talent around Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson? Well lets take a look at one prospect in particular and how he will fit in with Kemba and Al.

Last season Kemba Walker was top 10 amongst NBA starting point guards in Rebounds, free throw percentage, blocks and set career highs in defensive win shares (3.3) and win shares (5.1). He is improving every year and in the defensive system of Steve Clifford he will continue to get better as a defender. Lets not also forget that he has been working with Mark Price, so there are still some strides to be made for the 24-year old Kemba Walker.

He has never had the luxury of playing with a good shooting guard like John Wall, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry or Stephen Curry have. Lets run down the list of the ineptitude that is the shooting guard position in Charlotte. In his 3 seasons of NBA basketball Kemba has had Gerald Henderson, Matt Carroll, Ben Gordon (washed up), Gary Neal (Spurs system player), Cory Higgins and Reggie Williams. Thats what he has had to work with while Wall, Lillard and Curry have Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson and Wesley Matthews. Those guys are all-star caliber players who can shoot from the perimeter at a high clip and make life easier on their point guards. Kemba hasn’t even played with a shooting guard thats even worthy of being a starter in the NBA yet but the Hornets have a chance to make Kemba’s life easier by drafting Gary Harris with #9 pick in the draft.

Garry Harris is the perfect fit in Charlotte, Steve Clifford likes players who can play defense and he can do that pretty well. Also Harris is a dynamite perimeter shooter as he shot 35.2% from the 3-point line while averaging 16.7 points per game at Michigan State last season.He is a proven shooter that automatically improves an already good Charlotte team, he shot 41% from the 3-point line as well during freshman year. He is the best compliment to Kemba Walker and the best fit for what Steve Clifford is trying to do in Charlotte. If Kemba gets this guy its going to do wonders for him on the offensive end. He’s a great catch and shoot player, he can also come off screens and curls the same way Bradley Beal does in Washington for John Wall and you saw how that worked out. It will automatically make his life easier and make Al Jefferson even more dangerous in the post so if teams double team him it a gives him someone who can knockdown shots when he passes out of the double teams.

All in all I think a Kemba Walker/Gary Harris would be one of the best back courts in the East, both are solid defensive players who compete at a high level and hit big time shots. It makes too much sense for the Hornets not to draft this guy and pair him with Walker he’s still only 19-years old but is more polished than a lot of shooting guards in this draft. Get Kemba this guy and I promise that Walker will be an all-star next season.