This content is taken from an article by Mark Aboyoun for Celtics Blogtranslated into Italian by Marco Marchese for Around the Game.
When no one could expect such a move, out of nowhere ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the Free Agent Lonnie Walker IV he found the agreement to settle down with the Boston Celtics. The agreement between the parties would consist of an Exhibit-10, which is effectively a non-guaranteed one-year deal. It came as a surprise to many, as no move was expected Brad Stevens in such a late summer, nor regarding a Free Agent of the caliber of the former Brooklyn Nets. Many even believed that Walker IV could sign with a franchise already at the beginning of Free Agency, in July. Now we can safely say that the Celtics have a roster completely identical to last year’s, at least in terms of quality, with the only absences of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk e Oshae Brissettno longer part of the team. Lonnie Walker IV, at just 25 years of age, already has a 7-year career in the NBA behind him, after being chosen in the First Round of the Draft 2018 dai San Antonio Spurs. So, what improvements can Lonnie make to the Boston Celtics roster? The most straightforward answer cites the scoring. The combo guard is known for his shooting ability from all three of his major blocks. Last season, wearing the Nets jersey, he averaged 9.7 points and shot 42.3% from the field. He finished the season shooting 38.4% from the perimeter on 4.7 attempts. When Lonnie Walker IV gets the ball, he is not afraid to finish the play. Signing with the Boston Celtics – a franchise that has one of the best offenses in the league, and the coaching schemes Joe Mazzulla are primarily focused on shots from beyond the arc – that would seem to be the right fit. Walker has no hesitation once he gains possession beyond the arc, and if defenses close on him late, he could certainly pay dearly for that choice.
Walker is comfortable standing in the corners waiting to be served. If he finds himself sharing the floor with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown e Kristaps Porzingisthen he will necessarily have to put in a lot of three-pointers – as can be seen in the next video clip, against the Orlando Magic.
When Walker tries to attack the paint, he doesn’t necessarily have to do it with speed as his main weapon. In fact, Lonnie is able to use his physique extremely well to create space for himself – especially using the step-back or using your physique to your advantage to get shots wide open.
Even in the challenge against the Indiana Pacers: initially it moves as if it were in slow motionbut that’s what he needs to get to the rim. Walker is also shooting a career-high 79.5 percent from the line.
To be clear, Lonnie Walker is certainly not going to be one of the most oppressive defenders in the league. But with his wingspan and his size is certainly capable of blocking shots and making life difficult for opponents, while not having the tremendous speed to nullify the opposition’s offense. Honestly, for anyone who signs a contract with the Boston Celtics, if you are not good on defense you are not going to be able to get on the floor very easily, no matter how good you are at scoring. If Walker wants his contract to extend through the 2024-25 season, he will first have to prove his ability to guard his own rim. He may not be a tough defender, but his size and length could make him useful for the green and whites. Having signed a minimum-wage contract, this is a situation low-risk-high-reward per i Cs. Walker posted the following after receiving no interest from NBA franchises earlier this summer.
I ain’t even reach my prime yet 😅 yall gonna see soon. The apology better be just as loud as the disrespect
— Lonnie Walker IV (@lonniewalker_4) June 29, 2024
And for those of you, among the green and white fans and others, who are not clear about his exploits, here is a video highlight of the challenges against the same Celtics last season.
Celtics saw what Lonnie Walker IV did to them and decided to bring him in. I like it! Lonnie’s numbers in four games against Boston last season:
✦ 13.0 PPG
✦ 20-35 FG
✦ 7-13 3PTHas potential to provide some really nice help off the bench ☘️ pic.twitter.com/ZwoK9DO9yZ
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) August 29, 2024