Here are some anecdotal points from the Hornets' 104-86 win over the Utah Jazz -- tying Charlotte's longest winning streak of the young season (two):
A week ago, Stephenson was shooting slightly above 37 percent, while Walker was hovering around the 35-percent mark.
However, Walker (20 points on 8 of 17 shooting against Utah) has been on fire of late. In his last six games, including Saturday night, Walker has been shooting a blistering 49.1 percent from the field, while averaging 23.3 points.
That's a far cry from where Walker had been over the last 60-plus games, dating back to last season.
"I'm just being aggressive and being confident," Walker said. "I knew I was capable of shooting the ball better. That slump I was in was disappointing for me."
Walker doesn't think he was pressing the issues, which could have compounded his shooting woes. Instead, his rationale for the slump was quite simple.
"I just think I was just missing," he said. "After a while when you miss a lot of shots, your confidence goes."
Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said Walker's all-around play -- and not just perimeter shooting -- has picked up in recent weeks.
"He did so much in the summer," Clifford said. "He's a totally different player than he was a year ago. He just hadn't shot the ball well. Now, he's shooting the ball well and if you're a talented guy that's putting in as much time as he did in the summer, and every day he does extra, it's only a matter of time before he makes them.
For what it's worth, the Hornets are 2-0 without Stephenson in the lineup.
Less than a week ago, national reports had Stephenson on Charlotte's trading block, with Indiana being the most likely destination for the newly acquired free agent. However, in recent days, those reports have dissipated.
The Hornets (8-19) are 4-6 when Kidd-Gilchrist starts. He is a usually starter, but he's been injured two different times this season with a rib contusion and a stress reaction in his right foot.
Now that he's completely healthy, many feel this could be the very key that leads Charlotte to a prolonged winning streak.
"Whatever this team needs from the defensive end, I'm up for the challenge," Kidd-Gilchrist said. I'm a competitor. I hate to lose. I hate to get scored on. Even in the rec leagues and in the parks, I hate getting scored on. I felt that way even when I was 8."
Against the Jazz on Saturday, it seemed to be a typical night for Kidd-Gilchrist, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft. He finished with 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting and tallied one steal, two assists, three blocked shots and 11 rebounds.
21/5: The Hornets' assist-to-turnover ratio against the Jazz.
"Instead of taking the first good shot, we moved it and got the great shot," Jefferson said on the Hornets' better ball movement the last two games.
Follow Brett Jensen on Twitter at @Brett_Jensen.
