Is Lonnie Walker now like Stephen Jackson from Summer '02?

[Millennial_Messiah]

Jackson on his first year with the Spurs was buried near the end of the bench and only played spot duty at that position when guys got injured or rested or in garbage time.

But then took off over the summer and within the first month of the 02-03 regular season became a full time starter.

Are we witnessing the same thing here?

[look_at_g_shred]

No Andy, we are not.

[R. DeMurre]

No.

[exstatic]

Jack started only because Manu came into the season injured. That injury made Jack a lot of money, eventually.

[james evans]

as long as Patti and Bellinelli are here, Walker isn't receiving much playing time. When he's at the end of his rookie contract, he will get minutes and then be insulted with an offer during the summer of 2022 , signs with another team and Spurstalk will chatter about how ungrateful he was to be on our bench learning from Mills and belinelli while they were with us .

[look_at_g_shred]

as long as Patti and Bellinelli are here, Walker isn't receiving much playing time. When he's at the end of his rookie contract, he will get minutes and then be insulted with an offer during the summer of 2022 , signs with another team and Spurstalk will chatter about how ungrateful he was to be on our bench learning from Mills and belinelli while they were with us .
I haven't actually seen anyone on here vouching for Mills or Beli to be on the team. Everyone wants them out lol

[RC_Drunkford]

I'd say he's 2017 Jonathon Simmons right now

[exstatic]

I'd say he's 2017 Jonathon Simmons right now

No. He's both MORE athletic AND a better shooter than JS ever was, or ever will be. He's also 20.

[Marcus Bryant]

Definitely the type of prospect you want in today's NBA.

[Mr. Body]

SJ shifted into a starting role because of team composition, injuries, and general skill set. That team was really shaky in general, but great emergent pieces. Walker looks more like... Derrick White last year. His time has come and it's been through the usual process.

[Marcus Bryant]

As for comparison to Jack, he did already have NBA games under his belt with another franchise. Walker is much more the drafted and developed player.

[RC_Drunkford]

No. He's both MORE athletic AND a better shooter than JS ever was, or ever will be. He's also 20.


everybody with a pair of eyes knows that. I meant in terms of expected production that's where he's at. 8-10 Points off the bench, 9th or 10th in the rotation, gettin in Pop's dog house and having to learn how to guard NBA players. Same as Simmons 16/17. Then when the playoffs came around he broke out. I see Lonnie brought along in a similar way

[Millennial_Messiah]

SJ shifted into a starting role because of team composition, injuries, and general skill set. That team was really shaky in general, but great emergent pieces. Walker looks more like... Derrick White last year. His time has come and it's been through the usual process.

That's why '02-03 is still my favorite championship run.. the talent level around TD was mediocre at best. It was a very unlikely run to the finish line. 19-13 start to the season + likely first round exit, as per Media.

The funny thing about that team is, if you list out all the names, it'd be one of the greatest NBA teams in history... IF and only IF, everyone was in their prime. The problem was that nobody was in their prime except for Duncan, and Malik Rose (lol). Everyone else was too young or too old. It was an unbalanced, unstable, inconsistent hot-and-cold shooting team that played pretty consistently good defense and somehow found a way to win which was pretty damn amazing.

[baseline bum]

Jack started only because Manu came into the season injured. That injury made Jack a lot of money, eventually.

That and Steve Smith being a washed up pos. Thank god Smith lost that starting spot pretty quickly.

[Millennial_Messiah]

That and Steve Smith being a washed up pos. Thank god Smith lost that starting spot pretty quickly.

This is correct. Manu was never expected to be a starter as a rookie, he actually way overperformed. Steve Smith was the incumbent starter from '01-02 and he was out the first couple games to start the season. Smith was given his starting spot back when he returned, but he a liability, so by December Pop made the switch to Jack at SF and it pretty quickly paid dividends especially when Manu was established as the 3rd swingman behind Jack and Bruce.

[MannyIsGod]

SJ never showed this type of promise before the season. He was a good player and a streaky shooter, but IMO, LW is ahead of where he was prior to their first real Spurs seasons.

[timvp]

Jackson played in summer league in 2001. He didn't do that well, FWIW. Shot a low percentage ... but the Spurs signed him to a two-year contract anyways.

IIRC, he didn't play in summer league in the summer of 2002.

[John B]

SJ was a streaky shooter and defensive stalwart. LWIV has more offensive moves, and yet to be good in defense. Totally different. For now I will compare him to Crawford, Lou Williams, players who can bring a lot of scoring from the bench, for now.

[baseline bum]

Jackson played in summer league in 2001. He didn't do that well, FWIW. Shot a low percentage ... but the Spurs signed him to a two-year contract anyways.

IIRC, he didn't play in summer league in the summer of 2002.

Here is an article from July 2002 showing him on the Spurs summer league team in Boston.

http://www.espn.com/nba/s/2002/0716/1406550.html

I remember him having a big summer league and being pretty surprised since he had such a lousy 01-02 season. I remember thinking it was crazy to see two Spurs have big summer leagues two years in a row after TP2 had the Sonics willing to trade Payton for him from his performance in the first game or two of SL in 2001.

[TDMVPDPOY]

more like toronto rookie tmac waiting to break out...