Hornets' Walker has started running, will be re-evaluated this week

Injured Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker recently ran and took shots for the first time since undergoing knee surgery Jan. 28. 

While that's reason for the Hornets to celebrate, it appears unlikely Walker will be back to playing within the estimated six-week timeline he was given at the time of his surgery. 

Walker is set to be re-evaluated Wednesday, the five-week mark since the operation, but without any full practice under his belt it's difficult to see him playing in games a week after that. The 24-year-old has reluctantly had to watch while his teammates battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference in what has been the longest consecutive game absence of his professional career.

"It's miserable, very miserable," Walker said, according to Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer. "I'm just so used to playing all the time and never (being injured) makes it tougher. It's really tough. I hate it, to tell the truth."

The fourth-year guard was enjoying the most productive season of his career before going down, averaging a team-leading 18.8 points, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 42 games. He was handling the ball better, too, cutting down on his turnover rate while showing a propensity to come through in big moments. 

Walker went on a tear in January, nailing multiple game-winning shots and being named an Eastern Conference Player of the Week for averaging more than 30 points over a four-game stretch in which he led the Hornets to a perfect week.

Charlotte has gone 6-7 since he went down, and is mere percentage points behind the Indiana Pacers for the No. 8 seed in the East with 25 games remaining in the season.