Tiny Archibald.

That was Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas' analogy Sunday, when asked to describe the old-school vibe apparent in rookie Kemba Walker's approach to basketball.

It's flattering - Archibald was a five-time All-Star between 1974 and 1983. It's also telling. Like Walker, Archibald was a 6-foot-1 point guard in a land of giants. Like Archibald, Walker has developed a craftiness allowing him to create open mid-range shots against taller defenders.

The Bobcats drafted Walker ninth overall last June, but Sunday was the first day he could get into a practice. The lockout canceled summer league, then Walker missed the first two days of training camp while details of his rookie-scale contract were finalized.

Sunday the fun began. Walker doesn't yet have great shooting range, but he led Connecticut to the national championship last season with a stop-and-start dribble game that confounded defenders.

Those same skills were apparent at practice Sunday.

"He'll create the space because he knows how to either get to the hoop or get the step-back jumper," Silas described. "You play up on him, and he's going to go around you. Or he'll make a great pass. If you stay off, he'll juke you" for the open shot.

"It's almost impossible to stop that mid-range game he has."

That was classic Archibald, who averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 assists with five different NBA franchises. Former Charlotte Hornets coach Dave Cowens used to joke that modern players dig a moat between the 3-point line and the rim, as if shots aren't allowed 15 feet from the basket.

Walker lives for those shots.

"I like mid-range shots - that's where my money is. I've always tried to have a great in-between game," Walker said. "It's all about pace - how people are playing me. With a bigger guy guarding me, I have to do as much as I can to create space to get a shot off.

"When a smaller guy is guarding me - which probably won't happen (often in the NBA) - I can either use my speed or try to overpower him."

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas says two things set Walker apart last season: That sophisticated ability to create shooting space in confined areas and a competitive toughness that counter-balances his lack of size.

Bilas said that showed up on defense - that Walker never let bigger opponents run over him. Walker says that's about pride.

"I never shy away from contact. I might not look too strong, but I work out in the weight room," Walker said. "Guys will try to post me up because of my height, but I'm not going to make it easy on them. I'm going to fight - that's all I do."

That "fight" particularly attracted Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, who saw some of himself in Walker. The day after the draft, Walker spontaneously mentioned he would be pushing point guard D.J. Augustin every day.

Silas saw evidence of that immediately.

"D.J. is really concentrating right now because he knows Kemba is playing that same position, and I'm loving it," Silas said. "They're both really focused. It's about as focused as I've seen D.J., and that's great."

Notes: The Bobcats haven't yet had a two-a-day practice and the plan wasn't to have one today. Silas likes the focus he's seeing in a single 21/2-hour session, so it's possible the Bobcats won't use all six two-a-days allowed under NBA rules ...

The Bobcats plan an intra-squad scrimmage open to the public next weekend. Times and details TBD ...

Kind of sad watching rookie Bismack Biyombo in that folding chair, watching every practice. It's unfortunate there's not a way to separate his ability to sign with the Bobcats from whatever result that civil trial will have in Spain, concerning his contract with Fuenlabrada.