The Charlotte Hornets went into the 2017-18 season with a real sense of optimism but it once again ended in disappointment as they missed out on the playoffs for a second straight year. They finished the year with a 36-46 record and it led to head coach Steve Clifford losing his job when the campaign ended. In a recent interview, star player Kemba Walker didn't mince his words when evaluating the team's season and explained how he was just as frustrated as anybody about how it played out. “Definitely, a disappointing year. I expected a lot more from us as a team," he said, per the Charlotte Observer."But these are times that you go through, that you learn from to just try and get better. That’s really all you can do. You have to learn how to get past disappointment and this season was just like that.”The franchise was optimistic that they would make a push for the postseason but they fell well short. 

Shining light

Charlotte may have struggled for success as a team but one positive from their year was another impressive individual campaign by Walker. 

He averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game and earned his second consecutive All-Star nod. 

The 28-year-old also broke multiple records, which included becoming the team's all-time leading scorer.

“As far as individually, I think I had a pretty good year. I was very satisfied," Walker said. "I worked as hard as I can and accomplished a lot of goals.

"Of course, with breaking the records and stuff like that. There was definitely some things over the course of the season to be proud of.”

But despite this, the point guard's future with the team continues to be in question as he's regularly mentioned in trade rumours. 

The Hornets were reportedly willing to part with him in February if they received a legitimate All-Star in return. 

However, new general manager Mitch Kupchak moved to quash any speculation recently as he declared that Walker is the "focal point" of the team. 

"... Going forward, in the community, in the franchise, this is a player that we hope is with us -- not only for the next couple of years, but ends his career here," Kupchak said, per ESPN.

The former UConn product will be entering the final year of his contract and there's no guarantee that he'll remain in North Carolina when he hits free agency. 

Walker clearly wants to win and if he endures another season without playoff basketball, he may look to see if he can find success elsewhere.

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