Hornets’ Kemba Walker says he’s focused on winning, not the NBA All-Star Game

Kemba Walker is growing tired of the campaign trail to an All-Star Game spot.

Don’t misconstrue this: He’d love to be recognized as one of the top dozen players in the Eastern Conference. He enjoyed doing the “Walker, Charlotte Ranger” video. He appreciates that teammates – particularly Nic Batum – want this for him. And he cherishes how the Hornets’ organization has worked to spread the word that he is worthy of this distinction.

But he’s worn out on the questions with roughly a week until coaches pick seven All-Star reserves for each conference.

That is understandable. The Hornets are clinging to a .500 record in the chase for eight Eastern Conference playoff spots. Securing a postseason slot and chasing home-court advantage is so much more important than Walker going to New Orleans for the NBA All-Star Game for what amounts to back-patting and a dunk-fest.

“I really don’t care, honestly,” Walker said Wednesday night of his All-Star chances. It’s really starting to get old, hearing about it. If my name is called, I’ll be super excited. But if not, I’ll just have to move on.

“My main focus and goal right now is to win, and we haven’t done a great job of winning consistently. And so, All-Star is the last thing I’m thinking about right now.”

That’s commendable, and in a backdoor way the best reason coaches should vote for Walker as an All-Star reserve. I respect what he values. He gets it in a way many pro athletes don’t that this is about the work, not the peripheral buzz.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton got a television show on Nickelodeon because he was NFL MVP. Josh Norman, his former teammate, made all those national television appearances because he was a shut-down cornerback on a team that advanced to the Super Bowl last year.

Those are perks, but they shouldn’t masquerade as goals.

Walker is the best player on a team that has lost seven of its past nine games. It was encouraging that the Hornets blew out the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday, but no one thinks beating an 18-26 team is a trophy, and the Hornets’ 21-21 record is a deep descent from their 8-3 start.

What matters is getting the best out of a five-game homestand, the longest stretch of games at Spectrum Center this season. What matters is beating the Toronto Raptors Friday, since the Hornets have yet to beat any of the top three in the Eastern Conference (Cleveland-Toronto-Boston).

That’s not to say Walker isn’t worthy of a first-time All-Star appearance. He’s averaging roughly 23 points, shooting 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range. He was last season’s runner-up for NBA Most Improved Player because he is driven during the season and in the offseason.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford is about the last guy I know who would throw out false praise. He was asked Wednesday if Walker is deserving of an All-Star selection. I found his reaction illustrative:

“It’s not a question of, ‘Is he playing like an All-Star?’ He’s an All-Star-caliber guard. There’s no question about it.

“The point guard position is the best in our league right now, and a lot of those guys play on teams with better records than ours.

“I think he’d like to be an All-Star. It would be great for him and great for the organization and the city. Nobody wants to win more than him. ...Just talking to coaches, he has gained an incredible amount of respect in this league. A guy said to me, ‘I’m not sure I have ever seen a point guard improve more than he has.’ “

That’s the truth. Regardless of whether Walker is ever an All-Star, it will remain the truth.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Hornets’ Kemba Walker says he’s focused on winning, not the NBA All-Star Game."