It was only a few months ago that Kemba Walker put the Connecticut Huskies on his back and carried them to an improbable Big East Tournament victory and then an even more improbable NCAA Championship. The Bronx native is considered one of the top prospects in tonight's NBA Draft but where he could end up is still a major question mark. It remains to be seen whether Walker can transition into a pure NBA point guard, or will end being more a combo guard. The situation he ends up in, could go a long way to determining his success. Let's hope Walker can succeed at the next level, where other New York City point guards like Sebastian Telfair and Omar Cook have failed.
Walker was originally rumored to be coveted by the Toronto Raptors with the 5th pick or the Sacramento Kings with the 7th pick. However, there is talk that their interest level has cooled in him and he could slide down to either the Charlotte Bobcats at 9 or even the Utah Jazz at 12, who had some initial interest in him with the 3rd overall pick but might look to Jimmer Fredette if he is still on the board. You have to wonder if Walker gets down to 12, if the New York Knicks might get a little antsy and think about moving up ahead of the Indiana Pacers at number 15 (who also have interest in Walker) for the hometown kid.
Here is a where a collection of recent mock drafts have Walker ending up --
Rotoworld - Toronto
ESPN (Ford) - Sacramento
NBA Draft.Net - Indiana
Hoops Hype - Indiana
SI (Amick) - Toronto
In their recent draft preview, Grantland gave a floor and ceiling comparison to each of the top prospects. Walker's ceiling was "the new Raymond Felton" and his floor was "Jonny Flynn." Personally, I think Walker's ceiling is higher than an improved version of Felton because of his ability to score. On the other end, it is too early to write the book on Flynn because he has been in such a bad situation out in Minnesota. Unfortunately, Walker could be walking into a similarly difficult situation if he ends up in Toronto or Sacramento.
SB Nation New York will be in attendance at Walker's draft party in New York City tonight hosted by DJ Skee and Skee Sports, so check back for reaction to where he ends up and follow coverage of Walker's night and the rest of the NBA Draft on Twitter at @SBNationNY @TurnOnTheJets @KembaWalker and @DJSkee.