Los Angeles Clippers 2018 NBA Draft profile: Lonnie Walker

With the 12th and 13th overall picks in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers should see Miami’s Lonnie Walker still on the board.

The Los Angeles Clippers are in need of some guard help in the immediate future. The only guards locked down after the 2018 season are Jawun Evans, Lou Williams, Sindarius Thornwell and C.J. Williams.

The only real difference maker in that group of guys is Lou Williams. However, with a relatively cheap three-year, $24 million deal, Williams is a very lucrative trade chip.

Thus, there is no real set in stone future at guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead of waiting to fix the need at when the roster is at dire straits, Los Angeles would be better suited to draft a guard now to learn for one year under the current guards on the roster.

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If that is the route that the front office wants to go, Miami’s Lonnie Walker becomes an interesting prospect to keep an eye on.

Walker averaged 11.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a freshman. The six-foot-four guard shot 41.5 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Although the statistics are not as impressive as some of his peers, Walker does have some positives to his game that could help the Clippers.

While his scoring numbers were not as impressive on paper, Walker’s lengthy frame and smooth jump shot allowed him to score effectively as a catch and shoot option in traffic. Walker was best used off of screens, however, he showed that he can create his own shot by gaining separation on the dribble.

Walker’s wingspan (6’10”) also allowed him to be a better defender than he probably should have been. His size allowed him to be a good shot blocker against smaller guards and make up for separation. As NBA coaching irons out his defending, Walker has the potential to be a menace defensively for other guards.

His biggest strength may be the cause of his biggest weakness, though. Walker did not show a good shot IQ at Miami and would often settle for contested shots due to his size and frame.

Because of this, Walker did not display any form of great passing IQ and is not the guy to facilitate your offense through. Instead, Walker looks like the perfect off-ball shooter that would make his money coming off of screens and in transition.

But that is a problem as well, he is not as advanced as he should be off-ball for what his skill set is bringing to the table. Thus, Walker looks like a very raw version of what could be a very promising finished product. If Doc Rivers and improve that IQ as well as his movement and philosophy off-ball, then Walker will be just fine.

Next: Kevin Knox scouting report

Lonnie Walker is a risky pick for the Los Angeles Clippers that could potentially have a ton of upside.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.

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