Guard Lonnie Walker IV was one of the free agent signings the Los Angeles Lakers made last summer, and at first, some thought it was an underwhelming one.
They used their mid-level exception to sign him to a one-year, $6.5 million deal, and given his inconsistent play in his first four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, fans seemed divided on whether he was a good signing.
Walker certainly turned out to be a good signing. He showed growth this season with his offensive game. Even better, he sported a positive attitude that allowed him to deal with the changes in his role with the team.
Walker's regular-season stats (in 23.2 minutes a game)
11.7 points
1.9 rebounds
1.1 assists
44.8 percent field-goal shooting
36.5 percent 3-point shooting
85.8 percent free-throw shooting
Walker's playoff stats (in 13.8 minutes per game)
6.2 points
0.9 rebounds
0.8 assists
48.3 percent field-goal shooting
38.2 percent 3-point shooting
75.0 percent free-throw shooting
Takeaways
Over the first half of the season, Walker was the Lakers’ third-best offensive player. He showed a willingness to not only put up shots from the outside but also the ability to make them at a reasonable clip. He attacked the basket off the dribble, both in the halfcourt and in transition.
Then a knee ailment toward the end of December forced him to sit out for nearly a month. When he returned, his playing time was reduced after he lost his starting job.
Walker fell out of the rotation entirely after the February trade that landed D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. He again played major minutes when Russell missed several games with a sprained ankle, but after that, he barely played.
The 6-foot-4 guard finally gained meaningful playing time in garbage time of Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals versus the Golden State Warriors. He did well, earning him 24 minutes in the next game, which was a win for Los Angeles.
It paved the way for his heroic Game 4 performance in which he scored all of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and was the big reason the team won and took a 3-1 series lead. That performance guaranteed him a spot back in head coach Darvin Ham’s regular rotation.
Walker will be a free agent this summer, and he may be priced out of the Lakers’ range, especially since their big priorities lie elsewhere. But if he’s willing to stay for less, he could again play a key role in them going after something special next season.
