The Charlotte Hornets went all-in at the poker table that was the NBA All-Star game, and unfortunately for Buzz City fans, they appear to have busted out.
All-Star festivities here in Charlotte have come and gone, and while the Queen City was put on the map in the NBA World for a weekend, the basketball team representing and hosting the exhibition couldn't really say the same.
But sadly, despite Charlotte doubling up in the host city, the results for their two All-Stars were very similar to the regular season for the Hornets and it certainly left a lot to be desired for Buzz City fans.
On Saturday during the Skills Challenge, Walker didn't even break the first round of the 3-point contest and Bridges was sent home after just two dunks in front of the home crowd.
And the following day - once the game actually took place, Walker came up short yet again - finishing with just four points in "Team LeBron's" 178-164 win.
Walker was the only starter for Team Giannis to not finish in double figures.
So I ask you Hornets fans...was it worth it?
The Hornets went into All-Star Weekend with a 27-30 record in the first half and despite being in the playoff hunt, the team continued to show any lack of consistency or the ability to get hot and go on a run.
So instead of planning for the future and rebuilding their foundation as they approached the trade deadline of February 7th, the Hornets decided that keeping Walker in a Hornet uniform - and trying to attract local fan interest with his appearance in the All-Star Game - was more important for the franchise.
That decision could come back to haunt them.
And looking back on it now at the state of the team with the Hornets 1-3 after the All-Star Break and falling to a season-high five games below .500, it's a move that should have been done.
The Hornets right now literally find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.
With no guarantee that Walker will re-sign with the Hornets - the only team he's ever known since they drafted him 9th overall in 2011 - the team missed out on a golden opportunity to get a package of controllable assets and draft ammo to plan for the post-Walker era.
All so Walker wouldn't be in an opposing uniform in the Spectrum Center for two meaningless days of exhibition basketball.
Instead; Walker's uniform change is just delayed and this Hornets team may be left empty-handed with their decision.
Earlier in the season, with Charlotte fluttering around .500 toward the end of December, watching the Hornets did leave me with a sense of optimism that they would be able to move up the standings as this team continued to grow in a new system under first-year head coach James Borrego.
I tweeted this at one point:
"You Can't Trade Kemba Walker."
But as each game was crossed off on the schedule and this team continued to take two steps forward and then one-step back, I soon began to realize that trading Walker was a move that had to be made.
But as that schedule reached February 8th and with Walker still a Hornet, my optisism turned to frustration.
Let's make this perfectly clear.
Kemba Walker IS an All-Star talent. No question about it.
But is he good enough to carry this team single-handidly into the playoffs like some of the elite players in the game like LeBron James or a Russell Westbrook have done in seasons past?
No.
And it's not fair to put that on Kemba either.
"Is Kemba Walker talented enough to bring you a package back in return that would have allowed you to rebuild for years to come or get you out from underneath of that crippling Nic Batum contract?"
Absolutely.
And Michael Jordan and company were too short-sighted in the momentto think of the future. To think of their fans.
And Kemba.
In an exhibition setting and in a weekend where the mood was high, parties were everywhere, and it was all about embracing and lifting up the stars of the game, it would have been the perfect place for Hornets fans to thank Kemba for his eight years in Charlotte after a trade.
Instead now, I fear that the departure is going to be far less ceremonial.
We're not going to have a chance to say bye to Kemba Walker.
Instead, we're maybe going to be left with a crippling "Woj Bomb" in the beginning of July handing us the bad news and ripping off the last bit of the band aid.
And with that, the Hornets need to plan for that moment to come and for the moments after.
We've already seen Miles Bridges find his way into the starting lineup come the second half of the season, and we're seeing the likes of Devonte Graham getting consistent minutes at the G-League level.
Cody Zeller has regained his starting center spot after fracturing his hand earlier in the year and the 26-year old has shown flashes from time to time, including a season-high 28 points in Monday's loss to the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors.
But we may need to see more than that.
You had your fun, MJ.
You got what you wanted in marketing your star.
In your arena.
In your city.
But now it's time to start planning for the future now that these games count.