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Kemba Walker has been a blessing ever since he burst on the scene as a champion with the UConn Huskies. Then it continued as he single-handedly kept the Charlotte Hornets afloat this season and drained game-winners.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford says Walker has been “by far our best player,” but he is bound to miss between 6-8 weeks after having knee surgery to fix a torn left lateral meniscus. This could be a blessing in disguise for disgusted Miami Heat fans.
Why? Because reports from Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski have the Hornets targeting the Heat’s Norris Cole as someone to hold them over until Walker is able to come back. And coincidentally, the Hornets have a player whose salary and skill would match up perfectly with what Miami needs.
Not only would a guard like Gary Neal be appreciated for his 10 PPG and career 41 percent shooting — 38 from the three — but he could also be the backup shooting guard the team has been missing for the entire season. That’s particularly the case after the Mario Chalmers to two-guard experiment did not work due to Cole’s inability to sustain solid play as the starting point guard.
As a matter of fact, he has not been able to give the Heat quality as a reserve either. And that was plain to see as he went from playing eight minutes two games ago to playing zero against Chicago on Sunday afternoon.
Can we take that as a sign of things to come? Maybe — maybe not. But if Pat Riley is listening to the rumblings of Heat Nation, cutting Cole loose would be music to everyone’s ears.
Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.
