NBA Draft Profile: SG Lonnie Walker IV

Aaron Brecheisen
4 min read
Lonnie Walker IV will be in the green room with the UM coaching staff at the 2018 NBA Draft, held at the Barclays Center on Thursday.

Walker averaged 11.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 34.6 percent from 3-point range in 27.8 minutes per game for the Hurricanes last season as a true freshman, earning him ACC All-Freshman Team honors.

He also made the 2018 ACC All-Academic Team and is constantly feeding his thirst to learn about almost every aspect of life.

He raised eyebrows at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month.

Walker has gained muscle and strength since he declared for the draft in early April. Now that basketball is his full-time job, he has been focusing on ball handling and shooting during his daily training regimen and it has been showing.

“It’s kind of scary,” Walker said. “I’m a greater player now than I was when I was at Miami. I would destroy that old Lonnie Walker.”

With a versatile game and a variety of interests, Walker will certainly be hot commodity in the first round.

Pre-Draft Measurables

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 196 pounds

Wingspan: 6’10”

Max Vertical Jump: 40 inches

Strengths

Athleticism

Walker is among the elite in terms of athleticism in this draft class. He finished in the top 10 of 56 players in all three speed categories and top 15 in the two jumping drills at the NBA Draft Combine. He is going to be an immediate threat in transition at the NBA level. Combine his athleticism with a quick first step and scoring potential, Walker has as high of an upside as any guard in the draft.

Defensive Versatility

Walker has the ability to become a multi-position defender because of his combination of length and lateral quickness. This makes him tailor-made for the open, fast-paced style of the NBA. He has the tools to be a plus on-ball defender.

Weaknesses

Consistency/Awareness

Walker needs to become more polished as a playmaker. He doesn’t make the best reads out of pick-and-rolls and lacks high-level ball handling skills. He may never be somebody who can initiate his own offense as consistent as the other go-to scorers in the NBA. He needs to improve on his shot selection to become a more efficient scorer. Scorers need to be able to provide other things when their shots aren’t falling.

NBA Comparison: Victor Oladipo

Like Oladipo, Walker is an explosive guard. He is very athletic, can get off the floor and go up in traffic. He also has the ability to be a very good shooter and can guard the 1, 2, and 3 positions. He has a chance to become this year’s version of Donovan Mitchell.

Draft Projection: Lottery

Walker has been seen recently going as high as No. 9 to the New York Knicks. He has also been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers with 10th pick, which would setup a childhood dream come true for the Reading, Pennsylvania native. Both teams have been rumored to possibly make a move and trade up higher into the lottery, however.

The more general consensus is that Walker will get drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers when they have back-to-back picks with either the 12th or 13th selection.

He has had private workouts in the last few weeks with several teams, including the Knicks, 76ers, Lakers, Bulls, Hornets and Clippers.

Walker would be the fifth first-round pick in school history and the first since Shane Larkin, 18th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013, and second-highest ever behind Rick Barry who went second overall to the San Francisco Warriors in the 1965 NBA Draft.
 

Comments (12)

Great write up. I love player comparisons. Gives me a good idea of who my team is drafting.
 
I saw I need to see of him in the tournament this year. He is not a team player, his play is best suited to the NBA not the college game. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the write up.. muscle and strength also have to do with age.. seems like athletes forget getting older helps your body.. he has a chance at being an impact player.. he was more of an athlete than a bb player in his year at miami.. will be interesting to see if he develop into a pg at the nba level..
 
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“It’s kind of scary,” Walker said. “I’m a greater player now than I was when I was at Miami. I would destroy that old Lonnie Walker.”

Did reading this quote bother anybody else?
 
“It’s kind of scary,” Walker said. “I’m a greater player now than I was when I was at Miami. I would destroy that old Lonnie Walker.”

Did reading this quote bother anybody else?

Bothers me. Also bothers me that missing the front end of a one on one with 9 seconds left cost Miami its season. A kid that truly cares about this program would be chomping at the bit to get another crack at it. He is 19 so he is young enough to play another year in college. Could his stock drop? Maybe but doubtful. He is 19 years old and his game needs work especially on defense and consistency as a mid-range shooter. The kid was in Coral Gables for two semesters. I hope Jim learned his lesson.
 
I saw I need to see of him in the tournament this year. He is not a team player, his play is best suited to the NBA not the college game. Good luck!
Agreed. Which is why I think this whole "he can't consistently create his own offense" narrative has taken hold. Dude did it easily in high school and AAU. Comes here and he has to be a team player who doesn't touch the ball as often. He was doing what he did in the last play of regulation against Louisville way more frequently in AAU.
 
Bothers me. Also bothers me that missing the front end of a one on one with 9 seconds left cost Miami its season. A kid that truly cares about this program would be chomping at the bit to get another crack at it. He is 19 so he is young enough to play another year in college. Could his stock drop? Maybe but doubtful. He is 19 years old and his game needs work especially on defense and consistency as a mid-range shooter. The kid was in Coral Gables for two semesters. I hope Jim learned his lesson.

He had to go as a borderline lottery pick. That doesn't bother me. But the quote was basically that we got one year of **** Lonnie Walker rehabbing his knee, and choking at the biggest moment of the season. That's "old Lonnie Walker." The new Lonnie Walker is way better and ready for the NBA. Not a classy way to wrap up his UM "career."
 
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He had to go as a borderline lottery pick. That doesn't bother me. But the quote was basically that we got one year of **** Lonnie Walker rehabbing his knee, and choking at the biggest moment of the season. That's "old Lonnie Walker." The new Lonnie Walker is way better and ready for the NBA. Not a classy way to wrap up his UM "career."
Our whole team choked the last 2 mins. Lonnie didn't "choke" as much as others. I wouldn't even call it a choke. Old Lonnie walker is shooting 34% from 3, scoring 12 points a game. He could have had a better year and he knows it. We've said it countless times. How is that disrespectful? It's true.
 
Our whole team choked the last 2 mins. Lonnie didn't "choke" as much as others. I wouldn't even call it a choke. Old Lonnie walker is shooting 34% from 3, scoring 12 points a game. He could have had a better year and he knows it. We've said it countless times. How is that disrespectful? It's true.

Walker had 0 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 rebounds. He has a critical turnover with about 20 seconds to go and then he missed the front end of a one and one. I'm not giving a pass to a kid who did a drive-by in Coral Gables.

I've got more respect for Brown who is 22 and got hurt. At least he came back and took some risk. Another pedestrian year as a shooter costs him money especially as a 23 year old.
 
Man I thought he’d be gone by now but there are some studs in the draft this early.

And OT: @gogeta4 I didn’t know Anyton is Bahamian.
 
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