Kemba Walker is playing himself off of the Phoenix Suns

In the Phoenix Suns’ quest for a point guard, many pointed to Kemba Walker’s impending unrestricted free agency as a way for the Suns to grab a point guard for the future without giving up any physical assets. Kemba’s extraordinary start to the season though may have completely played him off of the Suns’ future roster.

It is common knowledge that the Phoenix Suns are in desperate need of a point guard. There are dozens of options around the league and college basketball that Suns management could turn to to help resolve the situation.

But the one player that always seemed to come up the most is Charlotte Hornets All-Star, Kemba Walker.

Currently 28-years-old, Walker is a score-first guard with a similar size and build to Eric Bledsoe (Bledsoe is listed at 30 pounds heavier, but Kemba is by no means a stick figure on the court), although unlike the former Sun, Walker is an excellent  3-point shooter, averaging 38.6% on 7.3 attempts over the last four seasons (including 2018-19).

Personally, I have not really been a big fan of the Suns acquiring Kemba, whether it be through trade or free agency. In many ways he is Eric Bledsoe,  and the way I see it, Bled was never good enough as a score first PG to push the Suns anywhere near the playoffs himself, so who is to believe that in the much more difficult Western Conference that Kemba Walker would be able to?

Furthermore, Kemba’s impending contract is going to be gigantic (potentially a max), and if that player is not good enough to be a franchise changing piece, then why allocated that much money when it can be used elsewhere?

Then Kemba dropped 41 points on opening night including 7-13 from beyond the arc. Granted, he only dished out 4 assists, but still. Who else does Kemba really  have on his roster right now that he can confidently defer to?

Since then Walker has an additional nine games of 25 points or more including a 60-point explosion on November 17, in a 3-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, followed up with a 43-point outburst two nights later in a victory over the struggling Boston Celtics.

Kemba has not had a 10 assist game as of yet this year, had only three games of 10 or more last year, and has never averaged more than 6.1 a game in his career, that season coming all the way back in 2013-14 (Bledsoe’s career-high is 6.3 in his final full season with the Suns).