There was a newfound sense of optimism surrounding the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2017-18 NBA season. Unfortunately, it resulted in yet another disappointing finish that ended without postseason play for the second year in a row.

Point guard Kemba Walker is among those who are frustrated by Charlotte's lackluster year. He said that the team fell vastly short of expectations this season, via the Charlotte Observer:

“Definitely, a disappointing year. I expected a lot more from us as a team. But these are times that you go through, that you learn from to just try and get better,” Walker said. “That's really all you can do. You have to learn how to get past disappointment and this season was just like that.”

The Hornets were convinced that this would finally be the year they made a run in the playoffs. However, their second-straight mediocre finish was filled with growing doubts about their potential future. Despite the lack of success from a team standpoint, Walker was satisfied with his individual performance this year.

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“As far as individually, I think I had a pretty good year. I was very satisfied. 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.”

Needless to say, there is plenty of truth to Walker's comments. He registered 22.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game en route to his second consecutive All-Star selection. Walker also managed to leave his mark by breaking several of the Hornets' all-time records. He surpassed legends such as Dell Curry and Larry Johnson to become the franchise leader in points, 3-pointers, and 20-point games.

Unfortunately, all this has done is raise his value on the market. The trade rumors that had been swirling during the season have started to pick up again this offseason. That said, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be around long enough to help the Hornets get back to the postseason.