Walker doubtful for Hornets' visit to Toronto (Nov 29, 2017)
TORONTO -- Charlotte starting point guard Kemba Walker is likely to miss the Hornets' Wednesday game against the Toronto Raptors.
Walker sustained a left shoulder contusion Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.
"He couldn't do much (at practice)," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Tuesday. "I don't see him being able to play tomorrow."
With Walker out, Michael Carter-Williams would start the game at the Air Canada Centre.
"Just go in there and play confident and do what we worked on in practice," Carter-Williams said Tuesday. "Whether Kemba plays or not, I'm going be ready to go."
Malik Monk would be the backup to Carter-Williams should Walker not play.
Carter-Williams, who missed time with a knee injury, has been limited to eight games this season and has played as much as 20 minutes in only two contests.
He will be tested against the Raptors' All-Star guard tandem of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
"You've got to stay locked in against both of those guys," Carter-Williams said. "They both do a lot of tricky things on the floor. I'll just try to make plays and stick to my game and not do too much."
Walker usually plays well against the Raptors. He was instrumental in defeating the Raptors the last time the Hornets visited the ACC on March 29. He produced 11 of his 19 points in the final five minutes as Charlotte outscored Toronto 41-32 in the fourth quarter to earn the 110-106 victory.
The Hornets (8-11) are coming off a 106-86 loss to the Spurs, while the Raptors (12-7) defeated the Atlanta Hawks 112-78 Saturday to complete a three-game road trip at 1-2. Toronto had lost to the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers with collapses in the third quarter after holding the lead at halftime.
DeRozan, who did not practice Monday as a precaution after hurting his knee Saturday, returned to practice Tuesday.
He scored two points Saturday to end a string of 113 straight games in which he totaled at least 10 points, one short of the club record held by Lowry.
Lowry has been making an impression in other ways this season. The Raptors point guard is showing his rebounding ability.
He had a career-best 13 boards in the game against the Hawks and has had at least 10 rebounds in six games this season.
"He's smart, he anticipates and (is competitive)," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Another guy he reminds me of is Gary Payton, where, if there is a ball in a scrum, Kyle is going to come out with it. It's just something about those guys that have a nose and a knack for the 50-50 balls. And it's a huge skill to have. Kyle's toughness, his competitiveness, his anticipation, all those help him in those situations."
Lowry is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game against a career average of 4.1.
While his rebounds are up, his playing time is down from the previous two seasons. He is averaging 32.3 minutes against 37.4 last season and 37 the year before.
"It's something we've been working on," Lowry said. "We talked about it the last three years. Now we're doing it."
The play of reserve guards Delon Wright (currently out with a shoulder injury) and Fred VanVleet has helped make it possible.
Lowry's scoring is down. He is averaging 15.7 points this season after averaging 22.4 last season and 21.2 the year before. His average of seven assists per game is the same as last season.
"For me, I'm kind of finding my rhythm now," Lowry said. "I'm starting to play a lot better."
The 31-year-old does feel the benefit of more rest.
"I think the coaches have done a great job with it," he said. "I don't know how many minutes I'm averaging, but I can definitely tell the difference with being given more rest. I'm feeling fresh. I'm feeling good. At the same time, when I'm playing a lot of minutes, I get a little bit of a rhythm."
