Dunlap giving Walker room to be himself

[spectre]

Observer (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/14/3383409/dunlap-giving-walker-room-to-be.html)


When Dunlap interviewed with the Bobcats, beating out nine other candidates for the job, one of the clinchers was the intricate description he gave of how to optimize Walker. He illustrated a series of drag screens – the plays that worked so well for Steve Nash in Phoenix and Chris Paul in New Orleans – as a way of getting more from a guy who was a lottery pick and college player of the year just 16 months ago.

“He’s the head of the dog,” Dunlap said of Walker’s value going forward.

The events of last week emphasized that.
All in with Kemba.

[ND22]

The team has bought into Dunlap so far and it is exciting.

[polarcat]

I like this mentality going forward and not creating any kind of issues between he and Sessions. If LB was still here and he had to choose between tailoring the system to fit Kemba's strengths or just plugging in Sessions, it would get ugly. Being an NYC guy, I'm really pulling for Kemba to put it together and take that next step this year.

[Ghost Kat]

LB's savage rape of D.J's confidence still has some sting left so I'm glad Dunlap is letting Kemba play more freely. It's seems like the last 3-4 PG's we've had needed to be broken like wild horses. It will be nice to see them just run for a change instead of doing that stupid high knee trot or whatever horses do. Please no more broken PG's that need to be put down and turned into glue

[ohara831]

Very glad to have him publicly state his confidence in Kemba. Will be good for Kemba to know his Coach has his back and has this much confidence in him. And his teammates will respect that as well.

[TheBeagle]

Work on that jumper, Kemba. Just.......work on the jumper.

[TheBeagle]

Work on that jumper, Kemba. Just.......work on the jumper. Wow. Just, yeah. Work on it.

Otherwise, fantastic job against CLE. Grinded it out and scored the last 6 points, and was a good floor general all night.

[dnbman]

Wow. Just, yeah. Work on it.

Otherwise, fantastic job against CLE. Grinded it out and scored the last 6 points, and was a good floor general all night.

He was also lightening quick. Looked very in control with the basketball. I knew he was quick, but that was some Flash business.

[JGib23]

He's shot horribly in 2 games vs. d-league level point guards (Jimmer is d league talent as a point guard).

Can't see this season going well if our PG is the top 3 on our team in shot attempts and shots 40% or worse.

I've never seen an NBA player miss 3 point attempts so badly. He doesn't just miss, he misses by a mile.

[dnbman]

He's shot horribly in 2 games vs. d-league level point guards (Jimmer is d league talent as a point guard).

Can't see this season going well if our PG is the top 3 on our team in shot attempts and shots 40% or worse.

I've never seen an NBA player miss 3 point attempts so badly. He doesn't just miss, he misses by a mile.

Most of the shots I saw hit the rim, but he definitely needs to shoot better. Dunlap has already said the guys have the green light to shoot if they're open. I'm sure Kemba will be focusing a ton between now and November on shooting.

[Mustachio]

I'm not worried about Kemba Walker in even the slightest little bit. And I'm definitely not worried about his shooting performance in Summer League. That kid can play basketball. I don't understand how MKG is great because all he does is win, but thats all Kemba did his senior year too (and arguably had a bigger impact on his team) and somehow he isn't good enough.

We have too short a leash on these players because we are so used to being terrible.

[Bosnian-Bobcats-Fan]

i love kemba and have full trust in him....his jumper still doesn't look improved...hope it is by the start of the season

[TheBeagle]

I'm not worried about Kemba Walker in even the slightest little bit. And I'm definitely not worried about his shooting performance in Summer League. That kid can play basketball. I don't understand how MKG is great because all he does is win, but thats all Kemba did his senior year too (and arguably had a bigger impact on his team) and somehow he isn't good enough.

We have too short a leash on these players because we are so used to being terrible. You can honestly say you haven't been alarmed by how poorly Kemba shoots the ball over 68+ games? I admit to not watching much UConn at all, but he could knock down a 12+ footer from the games I did see and it's been a struggle from that distance and out as a pro.

BUT...

There's no doubt he'll work his ass off the rest of the summer and fall, and with Dunlap's vote of confidence in giving him "the keys to the car", I think his jumper will improve drastically throughout next season.

[Mustachio]

You can honestly say you haven't been alarmed by how poorly Kemba shoots the ball over 68+ games? I admit to not watching much UConn at all, but he could knock down a 12+ footer from the games I did see and it's been a struggle from that distance and out as a pro.

BUT...

There's no doubt he'll work his ass off the rest of the summer and fall, and with Dunlap's vote of confidence in giving him "the keys to the car", I think his jumper will improve drastically throughout next season.

I take nothing from last year, so I can honestly say it didn't alarm me. ( I was a tiny bit alarmed at how bad his shooting was last night, it looked alarmingly off) Last year was a nightmare. He played on a terrible basketball team, in a shortened season, with a lame duck coach, and a guy playing in front of him. I am actually more amazed he scored 2 points all year in those circumstances. You can't expect a rookie to come in from a leadership position, take a back seat and then come in a different league and shoot 50%.

There is obviously room for improvement, but I have faith in the kid. What he did in that tournament doesn't come around much. And there were plenty of spots last year, where he looked almost unguardable and dominant. The Bobcats went 8 years without a triple double and he had one in the worst possible environment to have one.

I am kind of going the other way, in that I'm not looking at what he couldn't do in a total waste of a season, but what he actually did manage to accomplish.

[gm in training]

He's shot horribly in 2 games vs. d-league level point guards (Jimmer is d league talent as a point guard).

Can't see this season going well if our PG is the top 3 on our team in shot attempts and shots 40% or worse.

I've never seen an NBA player miss 3 point attempts so badly. He doesn't just miss, he misses by a mile.

i agree kemba play has been horrid and to add injury to insult its the summer league. if your a good nba a player you put up great stats, if your an ok player you puts up good stats,but when a potential starter puts up 2 lame duck games in a row very scary.also, why is sessions so called projected to be a back-up when the lakers wanted him back but he was the one to opt out . sessions put up great numbers while playing with a championship calibur team and everyone is viewing him as back-up to a player who cant perform against d-league talent and draft picks. just something for some of yeah to think about(common sense). the bobcats were the laughing stock of the league and i dont think dunlap nor jordan will let the franchise crash and burn another season just for the sake of walker's progression.

[Bosnian-Bobcats-Fan]

But the thing i like about kemba is that if he realizes his jumper isn't falling he gets more agressive and takes it to the hole and draws fouls i love that mentality from him but like you guys said he's gonna work his ass off to fix the jumper no doubt

[gm in training]

But the thing i like about kemba is that if he realizes his jumper isn't falling he gets more agressive and takes it to the hole and draws fouls i love that mentality from him but like you guys said he's gonna work his ass off to fix the jumper no doubt

wow!!i dont think ya in this forum is getting it, not only cant walker shoot but he's not finding his teammates or getting players involved . jason kidd could never shoot,rondo is horrid shooter (but has improved),mark jackson wasn't a scorer, i mean if kemba can get us like 16-20 pts a game thats a bonus but a pg is suppose to help facilitate for his teammates and that was something that kemba didn't do in college. face it guys ,he's a shooting guard(tweener) who is forced into the starter roll because he is the teams investment but he wont help us win this year.

[JGib23]

Kemba in 2 games against scrubs is 6-26 from the field & 0-6 from 3.

His assist to TO ratio is great as he only has 2 turnovers but, his shooting has to improve drastically for him to be a starter in this league (long term).

We will be playing 4 on 5 on the offensive side of the ball as teams will back off and dare him to shoot. His quickness means nothing in a half court game if the defender can play off of him by 3 feet.

Does anyone know of a website that shows analytic statistics? I'd love to know Kemba's shooting % on non fast break layups.

[JohnnyTimmons]

Kemba's passing/IQ/assists will get better every minute he gets in the league. His threes and deeper twos can only, and will only, get better similarly. I don't think he will ever be an elite sharpshooter like Allen or someone, but I can see him developing as he gets more mature and experienced into a Tony Parker type. He will be an average shooter, above average at slashing and drawing fouls, and a good playmaker. I don't think he will end up being our star, but will be a good point guard and captain on a team that adds some stars once we are good. He may make an allstar game if he has a strangely, out of nowhere, good season from beyond the arc later in his career.
He is not as bad as he has looked at times. It's not possible. He will not hurt the team, even if it takes him a while to significantly help it CONSISTENTLY. There will be games this season where he looks inexplicably brilliant, and we will get our hopes up.
There will be games this season where he will disappear and we will think the sky is falling. That is why sessions is there, to keep that from killing the team.

[gm in training]

Kemba's passing/IQ/assists will get better every minute he gets in the league. His threes and deeper twos can only, and will only, get better similarly. he's not showing any progress though?hoping he will get better shows optimism but to keep saying he's young and has potential isn't a excuse .im pretty sure every nba bust was young and shown potential at times .im not saying he's a bust but he's not looking like a future starter .

[cltblkhscoach]

Dude I like your enthusiasm, but Jason Kidd I believe is 3rd all time in three pointers made now I believe. He didn't start out as a good shooter, but he definitely made himself into one, just as a lot of guys have over time.

Kemba right now is a taller Muggsy Bogues, teams would leave Muggsy open all the time and he never really was able to consistently hit that jumper to take his game to another level. Hopefully Kemba can. If it means anything, I remember Bustin Loose, the midday show on WFNZ, interviewed Kemba after the draft, and they called him a combo guard. Kemba emphatically replied that he was a point guard, so he definitely has the mentality of a point guard now, we just have to hope the execution comes behind it.

[gamecocksmitty4]

Kemba makes some sick passes for open looks. You can't see it in the box score because they don't count it when your teammate bricks an open jumper.

[SWedd523]

He's shot horribly in 2 games vs. d-league level point guards (Jimmer is d league talent as a point guard).

Can't see this season going well if our PG is the top 3 on our team in shot attempts and shots 40% or worse.

I've never seen an NBA player miss 3 point attempts so badly. He doesn't just miss, he misses by a mile.

Then I guess that 1st Detroit owes us is going to be a mighty fine pick.

[JGib23]

Then I guess that 1st Detroit owes us is going to be a mighty fine pick.

I'm guessing you are talking about Brandon Knight( who shoots a ton at a terrible clip)???
I loved the trade because there is a damn good chance that picks is high lottery when it's conveyed.

I love everything about Kemba's game but, his shooting. I think he will work on it and improve it but, he's got a looong way to go. The summer is still young though. Maybe a poor shooting summer league will make him work on his J even harder.

[Plowright]

wow!!i dont think ya in this forum is getting it, not only cant walker shoot but he's not finding his teammates or getting players involved . jason kidd could never shoot,rondo is horrid shooter (but has improved),mark jackson wasn't a scorer, i mean if kemba can get us like 16-20 pts a game thats a bonus but a pg is suppose to help facilitate for his teammates and that was something that kemba didn't do in college. face it guys ,he's a shooting guard(tweener) who is forced into the starter roll because he is the teams investment but he wont help us win this year.

See>>>>>>>>>>> Russel Westbrook

[anton273]

Haha i wouldnt mind if Kemba was like Westbrook but he isn't, personally id love a Rondo type player at PG. He is a leader he needs to focus more on the team than himself.

[Zoolander]

He doesn't have the height to be Westbrook or Rondo. His height is a major disadvantage. His best attribute is his quickness, but if he can't knock down open jumpers then even that attribute will be taken from him. Defenders will play off him and shrink the lane to negate him driving through. And those drag screens that Rick Bonnell is so fond of mentioning when talking about Kemba and Coach requires 1. Kemba to be a threat as a jump shooter and 2. A good low post threat and passer. The two PGs they mentioned, CP3 has an outside shot and had David West and the same with Nash and Stoudemire.

If he could just get a moderate midrange shot as his base, his other abilities would go up exponetially. He needs to get with Hendo and ask him for pointers.

[polarcat]

Crazy thing about the whole Kemba debate is that coming out of UConn, he was a shooter and looked like a light version of Steve Francis borderline combo guard. For some reason in the NBA, Walker can't find his shot and I don't know what it is. Could he be thinking too much? Could it be adjusting to the speed of defenders in the league? I don't know, but I do know that he's an Uptown NYC baller from the playgrounds of the BX and those guys don't give up. I still think he's got Stevie Francis skills, but with a better head on his shoulders, though maybe a little less talented. Last year, Walker was a little out of control with the ball, took too many selfish shots, etc. but through 2 SL games, that looks completely different. Now, he just has to get confidence in that jumper and stroke that he had at UConn. This is only year 2, so patience is a key especially considering this is the first year Walker has had any sort offensive blueprint since he's been in the league.

[Mustachio]

Kemba makes some sick passes for open looks. You can't see it in the box score because they don't count it when your teammate bricks an open jumper.


Yep. I can't believe people look at Kemba and see combo guard. Kemba can break a press, spin move and deliver a beautiful bounce pass to me standing open in the corner, but I ain't gonna hit it. Kemba figured that out last season and took an inordinate amount of iffy jumpers to compensate. Better he try a shot than waste a chance tossing it to Matt Carrol.

[spectre]

Yep. I can't believe people look at Kemba and see combo guard. Kemba can break a press, spin move and deliver a beautiful bounce pass to me standing open in the corner, but I ain't gonna hit it. Kemba figured that out last season and took an inordinate amount of iffy jumpers to compensate. Better he try a shot than waste a chance tossing it to Matt Carrol.

Agreed totally.

Kemba owes a lot of his struggles to Silas trying to make him a "true" point. Dunlap himself said that Kemba has gotten away from the way he played at UCONN and they're working to get him back to that.

As plenty of us said last season...just let the guy be himself. for Christ's sake.

[Scottley Crue]

The more you read about Dunlap, it really illustrates just how bad a job Silas did last year. I fully understand Silas had a limited season and does not have the same talent available to him that Dunlap does, but in these articles Bonnell puts out there, it's clear Dunlap has a clear and concise plan. And not just a plan for game night, a long-term plan to teach and develop talent. It's one of those things where I knew Silas was doing a bad job, but this brings to light just how bad a job he did. He really needed to focus on developing talent and one of our biggest investments is running up to Dunlap and shaking his hand for teaching him because nobody had done that for him to that point. That's unreal to me.

Now, we'll see how Dunlap reacts when it's February and there's a 7 or 8 game losing streak, but from what I've seen, I'm pretty confident it won't be the same reaction as his predecessor.

Edit: I hate to bag on Silas like that; seems like a good guy, loved him when he coached the Hornets, did well initially when he took over for LB...It's just what the players are saying is really driving home a point, you know?

[Plowright]

Haha i wouldnt mind if Kemba was like Westbrook but he isn't, personally id love a Rondo type player at PG. He is a leader he needs to focus more on the team than himself.

His playing style is not like Westbrook but the questions asked of him were. First year Westbrook lead the league in turnover (he had a summer league and training camp unlike Kemba) There were criticisms that he couldnt shoot and was 2 not a 1 and was not a playmaker. Those are the exact same criticisms that Kemba has facing now... There is a similarity

[spectre]

The more you read about Dunlap, it really illustrates just how bad a job Silas did last year. I fully understand Silas had a limited season and does not have the same talent available to him that Dunlap does, but in these articles Bonnell puts out there, it's clear Dunlap has a clear and concise plan. And not just a plan for game night, a long-term plan to teach and develop talent. It's one of those things where I knew Silas was doing a bad job, but this brings to light just how bad a job he did. He really needed to focus on developing talent and one of our biggest investments is running up to Dunlap and shaking his hand for teaching him because nobody had done that for him to that point. That's unreal to me.

Now, we'll see how Dunlap reacts when it's February and there's a 7 or 8 game losing streak, but from what I've seen, I'm pretty confident it won't be the same reaction as his predecessor.

Edit: I hate to bag on Silas like that; seems like a good guy, loved him when he coached the Hornets, did well initially when he took over for LB...It's just what the players are saying is really driving home a point, you know?

Kemba said the same thing (about 1st time being taught stuff) in his post interview after the 2nd SL game.

I'm with you...I hate to bag on Silas too because of his history with us. Thankfully it didn't set us back that badly and it was a shortened season. If it had to have happened at any time last year was probably best case.

[TheBeagle]

Yep. I can't believe people look at Kemba and see combo guard. Kemba can break a press, spin move and deliver a beautiful bounce pass to me standing open in the corner, but I ain't gonna hit it. Kemba figured that out last season and took an inordinate amount of iffy jumpers to compensate. Better he try a shot than waste a chance tossing it to Matt Carrol. Definitely. I saw Kemba shedding any notion of the "combo guard" label when he took over the starting job with DJ's first injury. I know those of us who feel this way are probably still in the minority, but with Dunlap's support and teaching, Kemba will only continue to excel at the 1 and win over his critics.