Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker Not Named All-Star Starter

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:55 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jerry Stephens/FanSided via Swarm and Sting

The NBA All-Star Game starters were announced and as expected the Charlotte Hornets’ point guard was left out among Eastern Conference guards.

As expected, Kemba Walker was not named a starter for the NBA All-Star Game this year. Instead, Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan were named the backcourt starters for the East ahead of the Charlotte Hornets‘ point guard. Although Kemba wasn’t expected to be a starter, there was still controversy among the players that were named.

Irving and DeRozan both were named starters over players like Kyle Lowry, John Wall, and Isaiah Thomas. The players who didn’t receive the starting spot arguably had a better case to start than the players that did. It was also surprising to see that Walker got almost no love from media members or players.

The Hornets’ guard was not in the top-5 among East guards for fan votes, media votes, or player votes. Fans consisted of 50% of the voting while media and players made up 25% each. It was a new format that the NBA adopted this season and it worked in the aspect that it kept Zaza Pachulia out of the West’s starting lineup.

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Not only was their controversy in the East but in the Western Conference as well. Russell Westbrook, the only player averaging a triple-double, was not named a starter as Stephen Curry and James Harden were named instead. While some of these starting snubs were more egregious than others but if the guys that didn’t start, still get named to the team in the end, then there shouldn’t be a huge uproar among fans.

Kemba still has the chance to make the All-Star Game as a reserve for the Eastern Conference but it is far from a guarantee. He will be at odds with the likes of Lowry, Wall, and Thomas for the final reserve spots. While many agree that Walker deserves to make it, he still could get snubbed based on the other players he’s going up against.

These were the starters for both sides this season:

Eastern Conference: Kyrie, DeMar, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler

Western Conference: Steph, Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant

While Walker does have a good argument for making the team, he was always going to be named as a reserve if he was to make it. This news isn’t much of a surprise for Hornets’ fans but it is still news because now we know who Kemba is going up against for the reserve spots.

The All-Star reserves will be named on January 26th so we all must wait in suspense until then. They for both conferences will be picked by the coaches so hopefully, they select Charlotte’s leading man. After being snubbed last season, it may be likely to happen again this year for Kemba.