3 goals for Nets’ Lonnie Walker IV heading into training camp
Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV came to Brooklyn this offseason on a one-year deal in an attempt to prove himself after playing well in a bench role for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. As it stands right now, Walker will be coming off the bench again for the Nets.
Walker came into the NBA as the 18th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2018 NBA Draft out of the University of Miami, but since he came into the league, he has been more of a supporting player than anything else. It seems that his career has been thriving ever since he has accepted that kind of role for himself.
For Brooklyn, Walker has a chance to earn some playing time to be one of the guards that consistently comes off the bench to provide a spark for the team. Here’s three goals for Walker to push towards if he wants to earn a spot within the usual rotation:
Shoot The Three More Consistently
Walker has been about a league-average three-point shooter since he came into the league, but what made his supporting role more effective was the fact that he started shooting the three-ball better. As many saw last season when he played for the Lakers, Walker is able to space the floor for whoever is trying to break down the defense.
However, Walker can still shoot the ball better as evidenced by the first two seasons of his career when he shot at least 38.5% from three-point land in both campaigns. If last season is any indication, it seems that Walker’s three-point shooting is starting to rise.
Be More Active On Defense
Walker has been a plus defender in his five seasons in the league due to his athletic ability and wingspan when he gets in the passing lanes. However, it seems that at times, he could be more active using his hands especially given the fact that passes fly by him without him even attempting to put his hands up.
Walker is too gifted of an athlete to not try to pair his quickness with his hands to be more disruptive overall, including the passing lanes. That will be something that Brooklyn will emphasize this season as they will need to create extra possessions to make up for what they lost in overall shooting and scoring.
Get Out In Transition More
In addition to the aforementioned goals, Walker should work on trying to get out in transition more so that he can take advantage of his shooting and athleticism. When Walker gets out into the open court, it looks like there’s few players who can stop him.
One of the things that Brooklyn will try to do is being more effective in the transition game as they need to get as many easy points as possible to compensate for their offensive struggles. Walker being on the floor gives the Nets another player who can make the open three as well as finish at the rim when he gets the ball in stride.
