San Antonio Spurs: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season
2. Is Lonnie Walker IV NBA ready?
The San Antonio Spurs’ prized rookie, Lonnie Walker IV, has been an instant sensation and immediate fan favorite. And it’s not just because of his hair, either. Walker appears to be a rookie with great character and a good attitude, not to mention he has huge upside as long as he can stay healthy. The question is, will he be ready to handle a decent amount of minutes from the start?
It’s unclear how head coach Gregg Popovich plans to utilize Walker this season. He may decide to bring him along slowly and let him learn from DeRozan and the other mentors on the team before putting him in the rotation, or he may let him get a lot of minutes right from the start.
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Walker certainly seems NBA-ready. He is young (only 19 years old) but he already has the body of an older NBA player. He weighs 192 pounds and stands at 6’4″, so his frame is certainly big enough to take a lot of contact. Sometimes it takes rookies a while to adjust to the physicality of the NBA, but for Walker this shouldn’t be a problem.
Walker performed well enough in NBA Summer League, but not spectacularly. His debut was disappointing, but he bounced back in the next game against the Grizzlies with 14 points, which included a really nice alley-oop dunk. He was able to develop some chemistry with point guard Derrick White, who we may see in the rotation this season too.
If Walker is able to play at a high level in the NBA, then he has the potential to turn this Spurs team around completely. If he can handle 20-25 minutes per game off the bench, he will be an instant source of energy and points. He can create his own shot too, which is something the Spurs have trouble with sometimes.
If he can manage to stay healthy, Walker should be a very good NBA player. The question is, how long will it take him to make the jump? If he can do it this season, then the San Antonio Spurs will be that much more dangerous.