Reply With Quote
No
I never get to see the Toros but to those that do, is Lonnie showing the potential to make a real contribution to the varsity (Spurs) team next year and how so? Last year I remember reading reports how Derrick was tearing it up in the G-League, so much so that I wondered why we didn't see him more in last year's regular season. However he has gone from getting Metu like minutes last year to now possibly the 2nd best player on the team. Dare I dream the same for Lonnie next year? How does he fit on the team with LMAlpha, D-White, a returning Dijon, Not this Gay and DDR? I have read posts questioning how Dijon will fit in with D-White next year but don't want Lonnie's possible contributions left out as well.
No
I will say no because white was ready when he came to te nba, he's 24 now and walker is only 20. There skillsets are different but i think lonnie will be ready in 2 years, still he can bring us something next year but he needs to improve, especially on defense.
He's got some work to do, but I see no reason why he can't carve out a role with the big boy squad next year.
He's got the tools athletically. His jump shot seems to be improving. He seems to be gaining confidence.
He just needs to stay on that trajectory offensively, and put some serious focus on improving his defense. Of course, this is all assuming that he stays healthy and that knee holds up...but he seems to be playing pretty fearless in that regard recently.
He will never be the type of player White is (Derrick is, and always has been, a much better passer and playmaker)...but I see no reason why Lonnie couldn't at least be a "spark of the bench" type of player next season.
My hunch is that LW needs to lead the JV squad a la CoJo, Kyle Anderson, and DWhite before he can make it on the Spurs varsity club. He would benefit from the added PT and learning the pro offense.
We drafted him green bc he's super athletic and has potential (handles, jumper, defense, etc.) so I'm not upset if he's not ready to play next year. I think athletically he's going to move better than most guys he's playing against even at the NBA level, so he's probably playable off the bench day one (but he's going to make a lot of mistakes.) I'd say take your time with him and just make sure he's getting a lot of playing time. If it's in the G league that's fine.
His D is just atrocious. Like way worse than people say about Marco or Bryn. He simply won't get much run unless and until that improves so long as Pop is coaching at least.
He was supposed to get minutes this year, so he'll likely be just fine next year. He'll lead the SL team, go through training camp, and play meaningful minutes next year. He's a better 3 point shooter than both White and DJ, and just by virtue of physical attributes, a better defender than Forbes, Patty, and Beli.
If you seen him just 5 minutes, you know the answer. At this point I am even doubdtful he will find meaningful minutes. Right now he doesn't have NBA skills, and to be honest he doesn't seem to possess a high basketball IQ neither. He can develop into a shorter version of Faried with some useful jump shot, maybe. Other than that, he is cut from a different cloth than White, honestly.
By the second half of the season, probably some decent spot minutes, but not the insta-starter White has been this year.
White more or less always looked like a finished product, a rounded player that could improve in some areas but that what he brings to the table today is what he would bring for the years to come. At the end, that translated very well to the NBA level.
Walker on the orther hand is quite the opposite, a promising young guard who has the tools to develop a complete game, but that seaminglly raw skillset is yet to be developed into something that can or cannot translate.
Yeah he will get some burn depending on how his defense is but with us having White, Murray, DEROZZ, and Mills would be tough to get consistent minutes. If he can improve his D I would love for him to replace Mills and Forbes sooner rather then latter.
They are opposite type players.
White is an overacheiver who had to fight through prejudice that he just wasn't good enough since he was a kid.
Walker is a can't-miss athlete that everyone has been drooling over since he was a kid.
They can both find success with an astute organization like the Spurs, but it's unlikely that one will follow the path of the other along the way.
Simply put, White is more of a building block and Walker is a later addition in the process, more of the icing on the cake of a high-end squad.
Walker has a long way to go. His injury this season didn't help his development either.
This.
DWhite is much more mature as a player. Naturally he will have a higher BBall IQ.
But if Lonnie can really focus on defense this summer and let that be his #1 priority, then he will see minutes next year.
Defense can be coached, and his physical profile will allow him to cover up some of his mistakes. I'm not sure that his defense is as bad as you state. Most acknowledge his offensive potential, and he hasn't exactly showed that yet, either. Both are hard to do in garbage time.
Spurs would never have drafted him if that was his ceiling. They're high on him, and with their PD history, I like his chances to blossom.
Yes, he's different than White. No, that's not a bad thing. Other than improving his 3 pointer, White is likely done developing. Lonnie has a lot of room to grow, and a really high ceiling.
Well, he is a moon landing denier, so maybe he can channel his inner Kyrie.
Oh wait, he's an injured scrub, no disrespect intended. He'll be lucky to be G League worthy next year at the rate he's regressing.
Let's be fair here, nobody knew that White could play defense. There was no evidence how good he could play defense while playing in the g-league.
I've been watching White for quite a while now. I never thought that he could play defense like he has shown. I knew he reacted in defense very quickly, but I couldn't tell if that would translate to the NBA.
About Walker? He's got more physical tools that White. Doesn't have the same level of experience. That's what you get when you draft a one and done player.
He was PAC-12 All Defense, even after transferring up from NCAA D II to D I level basketball.
Disagree about the lack of skills. Not refined, raw, etc. - sure, but he's got a quick first step, he can dribble, he can find his spots especially for midrange Js, he has a nice looking shot, he's very athletic, long and quick - all NBA skills to work with. Defense and basketball IQ have been iffy in the g-league but dude's only 20. At 20 White's been playing division 2 basketball.
Walker will probably be a bench player last year, given that Demar, Murray, and potentially White will be starters. But depending on his play, Walker may work himself into the starting line up. Either way, I think he will be productive, but may need two years to establish himself as a key cog.
Spurs stole White, btw. Sure, he's older. But at 24, he's definitely a starting caliber point guard even if he doesn't improve much over the rest of his career.
I hope not. I think we'll see him attacking the basket more and more, and becoming the closer to end games instead of Demar, because of White's better general vision of the game. So I expect him to develop more how to break defenses, like Manu. Somebody said that dunk was Manuesque. So true. I think he will fast become our 2nd option. I hope it doesn't affect him distributing the ball, but could turn on/off when he needs to score, like Nash did.
Lonnie has all the physical tools, but he seems not as bright a bball IQ. I mean he's supposed to be a geek, right? But I haven't seen anyone who's so lost in the court. I mean maybe a player 1-2 days after getting traded. But Lonnie has been playing with the Toros, apparently using the same plays. I mean Eubanks seem like he knows what he's doing, where he's suppose to be. Lonnie, eh. He's a bookworm, so hopefully he learns soon. Because a White/Murray/Lonnie guard rotation is scary.
Lonnie doesn't seem to have nowhere close to White's BBIQ.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
