Lonnie Walker is Overrated Offball Guard

[BillMc]

To me, he's such an unknown even in year 3. Do the Spurs extend him? He could turn into a great bargain and the best young guy on the team or an overpaid player who shows up once in 5 games and never plays D. LW4 could go ether way. And I don't pretend to know. All I can say is he seems like a good guy, so I root for him.

[Ocotillo]

To me, he's such an unknown even in year 3. Do the Spurs extend him? He could turn into a great bargain and the best young guy on the team or an overpaid player who shows up once in 5 games and never plays D. LW4 could go ether way. And I don't pretend to know. All I can say is he seems like a good guy, so I root for him.

I guess this is part of the Spurs way or as it sometimes referred to, Dat Culture!, in that they also look for certain type of personalities. Most of us fans really root for these guys because all of them seem like quality people and I am speaking of the young guys that have been drafted that are part of the team nowadays.

The only guy who has even came close to not fitting this mold is Luka in that there was a comment about him being an ass to waitstaff or something like that and not being a good teammate. Those seem to have fallen by the wayside as well though because he now seems to have a good at ude and is rooting for the rest of the guys.

[The Truth #6]

He needs to try to finish through contact and/or draw fouls. He shoots the second fewest free throws per 100 on the team. If he could improve his free throw rate to average, he could score on the same level that Demar does.

That's still true, but adding another move to his game could still be a huge step up. Finishing through contact can also become charging blindly into defenders. Don't get me wrong, finishing strong should be a goal, too. But it's not clear if he sees it that way or if that's his style, hence my random comment.

[John B]

I guess this is part of the Spurs way or as it sometimes referred to, Dat Culture!, in that they also look for certain type of personalities. Most of us fans really root for these guys because all of them seem like quality people and I am speaking of the young guys that have been drafted that are part of the team nowadays.

The only guy who has even came close to not fitting this mold is Luka in that there was a comment about him being an ass to waitstaff or something like that and not being a good teammate. Those seem to have fallen by the wayside as well though because he now seems to have a good at ude and is rooting for the rest of the guys.

Sometimes it's the nice guys who finish last. Sometimes it takes one to be a jerk to be an alpha. With Lonnie, he's overly unselfish sometimes.
Lonnie is such a hard work and a scholar of the game. I see him always asking Patty questions. It's just a matter of time. I think he's getting there. And when that day comes, I think he has the biggest upside (next to Luka) because of his freakish athleticism. Luka because of his guard-like skills at his size.

[spurraider21]

He has to be the irrational confidence guy but he is a fragile confidence one.

well put.

lack of confidence + fear of contact

[Slippy]

^ Defense sucks.

Lonnie vs Bryn ( 19-20 )

5.7 vs 9.4 percentile guarding isolations
26 vs 28.8 percentile guarding pick and roll
14 vs 10 percentile guarding spot ups

Stats can be misleading.. theres been many observations this season on Lonnie being tasked defending the oppositions best offensive. man on man.

I dont remember Bryn ever been given that job except on a switch.

[C-Dub]

Soft.

[spurraider21]

Oh you mean that one game doesn’t make him a reliable superstar?

[TheGreatYacht]

Showing up after ghosting this the last two nights

He played 9 minutes and in those he was the 4th option on the floor behind Rudy got, Wombat, and Demar.

[Ice009]

How is he supposed to continue playing when ball dominant greedy es like Mills, Gay etc. take all the shots?

[rankingtear]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31113290/nba-trade-deadline-underrated-prospects-thrive-trade

Anfernee Simons

6-foot-3 combo guard | No. 24 pick in 2018 | 21.7 years old
If I'm a non-playoff team with a win-now veteran piece I could trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, I'd have my eye on Simons in return. With cornerstones Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum occupying the guard spots and Simons not quite the defender or decision-maker he needs to be to play a consistent role in important games, there's an opportunity for development-focused teams to take a swing on the young talent.
NBA Trade Machine

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Simons is still just 21 years old without a wealth of high-level basketball experience to his name. He came to the NBA straight out of IMG Academy in 2018 and played just 20 games as a rookie. Now halfway through his third season, he's just scratching the surface of what he could become.
Simons is an explosive shot-maker with deep range off the catch and the ability to get shots off the bounce. He's one of only four players in the NBA shooting over 40% from 3 on at least 11 attempts per 40 minutes, joining McCollum, Stephen Curry and Wayne Ellington. It's not easy to find dunk contest winners who have Simons' range, a 6-foot-9 wingspan and a tight handle.
Wired to score right now, Simons could thrive alongside a big playmaker with the potential to be groomed into more of a lead guard as his game matures. He lives off a lot of tough shots and can also stand to improve as a finisher, and he currently ranks dead last among guards in defensive real plus-minus. But if Simons can go to a team that can afford to play him 20 to 25 minutes a night while letting him learn the nuances of the point guard position on the fly, he has a chance to be more than just a bench bucket-getter in the future.



The most similar player skill wise and career path to Lonnie. Even lit the summer league at the same time.

[exstatic]

Same old Lonnie.

[Ice009]

Same old Lonnie.

He could be more aggressive, yes, but what is he supposed to do? Demand court time from Pop? Demand the ball from the vet chuckers?

I don't know, do you think it is all on him, or just partly on him (by being more aggressive)? IMO, even if he was more aggressive, I doubt Mills and Rudy would give him the ball anyway. I really believe those two think they can take any shot they want, whenever they want, and I really don't like that mindset from either those two.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

To be fair to him I think he was hurting out there

[exstatic]

He could be more aggressive, yes, but what is he supposed to do? Demand court time from Pop? Demand the ball from the vet chuckers?

I don't know, do you think it is all on him, or just partly on him (being more aggressive). IMO, even if he was more aggressive, I doubt Mills and Rudy would give him the ball anyway. I really believe those two think they can take any shot they want, whenever they want, and I really don't like that mindset from those two.

He needs to play defense, and look for his shot,when open. It’s really not that complicated. He just kind of floated on both ends last night, and that’ll get you benched. Kind of the story of his career, so far.

[John B]

He needs to play defense, and look for his shot,when open. It’s really not that complicated. He just kind of floated on both ends last night, and that’ll get you benched. Kind of the story of his career, so far.

I think Lonnie was making the turn and was just hurt last night. He was grimacing every time he hit that wrist. It was Vassell/Luka and even Diop who needed more time last night to slow down Hayward/Rozier instead of more dose of Mills/Rudy

[Ocotillo]

Diop is on the injured list, he has a pulled hammy.

[C-Dub]

Pop held Keldon back last season for no reason and it's delayed his growth the same way he going to delay Luka's and Vassell growth. I guess Pop plays the vets more often because they make the most money. That's the only reason Rudy should of been in the game last night over the young guys. On another note, I believe Pop would never challenge a play if not for Becky.

[Dejounte]

There's your answer why he didn't play many minutes, drama queens.

[Sugus]

Boy, that ing sucks for Lonnie. Wrist injuries are a - really slow to heal due to low blood irrigation, and affecting your whole range of motion with your hand, so there's no way to avoid over-stressing the articulation unless you get a full-on cast. And given the fact that he's a professional player, and his team is in a playoff hunt, I imagine the possibilities of him just getting a cast and sitting out 1-2 months like he should, are slim to none.

So he'll try to play through it, like he's already been doing... Best case scenario, he still feels off in his game and has pain from time to time, leading fans and coaches to think he's underperforming (can't wait until ST turns on him again); worst case scenario, he aggravates the injury (or worse, falls down and/or gets hurt in another area of the same hand) and has to be out for significantly more time, with an outside shot of permanent articulation or nerve damage.

Wrist injuries are no joke, fellas. Lonnie definitely won't be himself until the end of the season, maybe start of the next one, if these reports and what he's shown on the court are to be believed.

[John B]

Boy, that ing sucks for Lonnie. Wrist injuries are a - really slow to heal due to low blood irrigation, and affecting your whole range of motion with your hand, so there's no way to avoid over-stressing the articulation unless you get a full-on cast. And given the fact that he's a professional player, and his team is in a playoff hunt, I imagine the possibilities of him just getting a cast and sitting out 1-2 months like he should, are slim to none.

So he'll try to play through it, like he's already been doing... Best case scenario, he still feels off in his game and has pain from time to time, leading fans and coaches to think he's underperforming (can't wait until ST turns on him again); worst case scenario, he aggravates the injury (or worse, falls down and/or gets hurt in another area of the same hand) and has to be out for significantly more time, with an outside shot of permanent articulation or nerve damage.

Wrist injuries are no joke, fellas. Lonnie definitely won't be himself until the end of the season, maybe start of the next one, if these reports and what he's shown on the court are to be believed.

[Sugus]

Yeah, I know, and I speak on this from experience - my right hand is in a cast right now, and I've been hearing and reading all about these types of injuries for some time. ing. Sucks.

I really wonder, in a scenario where Lonnie misses extended time, what the FO does in regards to his contract extension... Isn't he eligible this season, if I'm not mistaken?

[Seventyniner]

Boy, that ing sucks for Lonnie. Wrist injuries are a - really slow to heal due to low blood irrigation, and affecting your whole range of motion with your hand, so there's no way to avoid over-stressing the articulation unless you get a full-on cast. And given the fact that he's a professional player, and his team is in a playoff hunt, I imagine the possibilities of him just getting a cast and sitting out 1-2 months like he should, are slim to none.

So he'll try to play through it, like he's already been doing... Best case scenario, he still feels off in his game and has pain from time to time, leading fans and coaches to think he's underperforming (can't wait until ST turns on him again); worst case scenario, he aggravates the injury (or worse, falls down and/or gets hurt in another area of the same hand) and has to be out for significantly more time, with an outside shot of permanent articulation or nerve damage.

Wrist injuries are no joke, fellas. Lonnie definitely won't be himself until the end of the season, maybe start of the next one, if these reports and what he's shown on the court are to be believed.

LaMelo Ball's wrist injury keeping him out long-term is a data point that supports this theory.

Less Lonnie going forward makes it much less likely the Spurs trade Mills, unless they get offered a great return. Both Lonnie and Mills are best suited for microwave roles off the bench, but I can't see Pop wanting a rotation with neither of those two.

[Sugus]

LaMelo Ball's wrist injury keeping him out long-term is a data point that supports this theory.

Less Lonnie going forward makes it much less likely the Spurs trade Mills, unless they get offered a great return. Both Lonnie and Mills are best suited for microwave roles off the bench, but I can't see Pop wanting a rotation with neither of those two.

Even though Patty is probably the best player asset the Spurs have, he's always been the least likely to get traded of the bunch, IMO. But yeah, Lonnie being out a significant amount of time would make it all the more improbable.

[BillMc]

So, with this lingering wrist injury, Lonnie remains a high upside enigma. Do we extend him? If so, wonder if they coul do it relatively cheap like less than DJ and White? That'd be a lot of money locked in 3 young guards