Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) scores as Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, in Atlanta. Charlotte won 129-120. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Several former UConn players in the NBA have shined brightly as of late, but none have shined as bright as Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker.
Walker, who’s enjoying career highs in both points per game (25.1 PPG) and assists per game (5.7 APG), has been selected to his third consecutive All-Star appearance. He was named an Eastern Conference starter for the first time in his career alongside Kyrie Irving. Walker was drafted to Team Giannis by All-Star captain Giannis Antetokounmpo this past Thursday.
Walker is heading into the All-Star break at a blazing pace, averaging 34 points per game over his last four appearances. He has led the Charlotte Hornets into the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Andre Drummond has also represented UConn very well so far this season and especially in the last few games. Drummond leads the league in rebounds per game (14.9 RPG) and is also scoring a career high 17.1 points per game. In the Detroit Pistons’ last win over the New York Knicks, he put up 29 points and 20 rebounds. This was his 12th 20-plus rebound game this season.
Unlike Kemba Walker, however, Drummond was snubbed from this year’s All-Star game despite his productive season thus far.
Other notable former Huskies that have featured in the association as of late include Shabazz Napier and Rudy Gay. Napier has had a pretty up and down season. Due to injuries, Napier earned himself a couple of starts for the Brooklyn Nets after impressive performances off the bench throughout January. However, on Friday, Napier returned to the bench with the return of Caris Levert and notched only 12 minutes.
Rudy Gay, on the other hand, has found a place within Gregg Popovich’s system. Gay put up 25 points while shooting 10-of-15 from the field in the Spurs’ loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night. He missed the Spurs’ last contest due to an ankle injury and is day-to-day. Gay is averaging 14.4 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game on the season.
Amir Clato-Day is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at amir.clato-day@uconn.edu.
