Basketball is a game dominated by giants. It’s a game that rewards the sheer power of Shaquille O’Neal, the artistry of Olajuwon and intelligence of Bill Russell. While big men can always impose their will on the game, when the NCAA championship game tips off tonight in Houston, the best player on the floor will be listed at just 6 feet tall. Every so often, a little guy can challenge the conventional structure of the game.
Kemba Walker is the next in a long line of pure shot makers to wear the UCONN uniform. Ray Allen still possesses the purest stroke in the game, Richard Hamilton can run defenders ragged off screens before drilling a mid range jumper and Ben Gordon drain threes with defenders in his face.
Kemba has never been the tallest one on the court. One can just imagine how much that fuels his competitive spirit. He’s the undersized kid at playground who never had the growth spurt, getting his shots blocked by the taller more athletic guys. While lacking height is surely a disadvantage, it also breeds creativity. The diminutive guards are always the most imaginative and most compelling players on the court. They invent floating shots called giant killers. They fire off balanced shots that have coaches reaching for Maalox. They incorporate inspired moves that players of larger stature seemly don’t need to rely upon.
He’s led the Huskies on an inspired run, winning five games in five days during the Big East tournament before escorting them to the title game tonight. Surely, Kemba Walker has been told numerous times by scouts that his size won’t allow him to thrive at the next level. While that may prove to be the case, I’m not going to best bet against him.
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