Four years into NBA career, Lonnie Walker IV still waiting for his breakout
By Tony Zonca — MikeDragoSports.com senior contributor
Someday soon, Lonnie Walker IV can only hope, his day will come in the NBA.
So far, in his fourth full season and with his third team, circumstances, politics and myopic reasoning have conspired to delay his true potential in the league.
Nine games into the season with the Brooklyn Nets (4-5), Lonnie is third on the team in scoring (16.8) and ninth in minutes played per game. Has anybody on the coaching staff been paying attention.
Wednesday night Lonnie followed up a 19-point night in a loss to the Bucks with 21 in a 100-93 victory over the Clippers and newly purchased James Harden. Thursday he scored 17 points in 25 minutes in a win over the Heat.
Truth is, Lonnie got extended minutes only after Cam Thomas, the team’s leading scorer, hobbled off with what the Nets can only hope is an ankle sprain.
Lonnie has mostly sat while Thomas and former Villanova star Mikal Bridges have thrived offensively.
He should be used to the role.
In San Antonio, the team that made him its first draft pick in 2018, he played behind Demar DeRozan and Davonte Murray, two guys who acted as though every game was their coronation. The monarch, the venerable Gregg Popovich, was seldom supportive of the rookie.
Lonnie had played one season at Miami U. after becoming one of the most revered players in Reading High’s storied victory. Not only did he lead the Red Knights to their first state championship, but he also carried himself with class and distinction.
After his forgettable stint with the Spurs, he found himself playing in the shadows of a trio of future Hall of Famers — Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook — last season with the Lakers.
Winning a starting spot, early on Lonnie was third on the team in scoring and first in 3-point accuracy. Back to back injuries shut him down for a month. When he returned he became the invisible man, especially after the Lakers restructured their team with a series of trades.
It wasn’t till he broke out with a remarkable 15-point fourth quarter in a playoff victory over the Warriors that Lonnie’s true value became evident.
King James calls the shots in L.A., both on and off the court. Insiders would tell you he was not a Lonnie Walker fan. Yet, after that attention-grabbing performance, James was first in line in his praise for Lonnie.
Which apparently didn’t extend into the offseason.
After Wednesday, Lonnie was quoted as saying, “Just a lot of self-confidence. Understanding my capabilities. I really put a lot of time and effort into my game. I sacrifice a lot of time and effort. What you put in is what you’re going to get out of it.”
The Nets were in Boston two nights later to take on the Celtics. Lonnie felt confident that, even without Thomas, his guys would be up to the task.
“We got a lot of ‘dawgs’ on our team,” he said. “It’s just that simple. When our bench gets an opportunity, we got a lot of ‘dawgs’ that are ready to play. They got a chip on their shoulder, and they got something to prove.”
We’re sure you do, Lonnie.
