In a seven-game stretch, he scored 20 or more five times and shot 50% or better in six of the seven contests. Leading up to and following the 2022 NBA All-Star Break, Lonnie made a late-season surge where he put together several strong performances in a row.
Walker's skill and athleticism still shone through on many occasions, but his inability to have much semblance of consistency should be a bit troubling. Per Cleaning The Glass, he ranked in the 21st percentile for points per shot attempt among wings. He had far too many inefficient outings, shooting below 30% from the field 19 times in games where he played at least 16 minutes.
#San antonio elsewhere pro
Lonnie registered the highest usage percentage of his career at 23.6% in 2021-22 and yet shot his lowest percentage from three as a pro (31.4%). But despite a seemingly good situation to showcase his talent, Walker struggled to put together a consistent season with the opportunities he was given.ĭevontae Cacok, Lonnie Walker IV / Ronald Cortes/GettyImages Walker's Efficiency Took A Hit After all, his unique blend of athleticism, body control, and three-level scoring ability can be a deadly punch when he's at the top of his game. Some even saw Lonnie as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. The stars seemed to be aligning for Walker to be a lethal scoring threat with the second unit, and it appeared likely that he could boost his confidence by attacking without having to defer to DeRozan. With DeMar DeRozan departing the Alamo City last summer, it was assumed Walker could take on more of a scorer/distributor role off the bench with Derrick White sliding into the starting lineup at shooting guard to begin the year. He was given his greatest chance to be a major wrinkle in the Spurs' offensive scheme since he was drafted and didn't quite live up to expectations. This had been forgivable in years past due to his role, but it was especially disappointing this season. When you look at Lonnie Walker's on-court performance over the last six months, he was anything but consistent. After the results of this season, I think it's fair to say the team should go all-in on moving him. A polarizing player, Lonnie Walker has shown glimpses of being an elite slashing scorer and shooter over his four years with San Antonio, but he hasn't been able to put it all together up to this point.
For Walker, it gave him an opportunity to showcase his skills in 2021-22 and have a chance to earn more money this summer.įor the Spurs, it allowed them to more closely evaluate what they have in Lonnie and make a smarter decision about paying him. It was a smart move for both him and the team. This question has been prevalent among the fan base since last offseason when Walker did not sign a contract extension heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Safety: Bird strikes | No-fly list proposal | Could you land a plane? | Whale vs.It's been one of the most common debates among San Antonio Spurs fans this season: Should the team give Lonnie Walker one more opportunity or move on from him for good?
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