Walker finding groove after mental break
Lonnie Walker IV is not yet fluent in Spanish, but he is getting close.
For five days while the Spurs were stuck in Charlotte undergoing COVID-19 quarantine last month, Walker stayed glued to his Duolingo foreign language app. He also played a lot of video games.
“Like it was my day job,” Walker said. “Nine to 5.”
In his copious spare time cooped up in a North Carolina hotel room, Walker also got down to business on his actual day job.
The 22-year-old guard immersed himself in film, trying to diagnose a fix for his sluggish start to February.
“I have really just been doubling down, watching a ton of film, consistently trying to build by IQ to know what I can and cannot do,” Walker said.
Since the Spurs returned to the floor last week, Walker has been putting those lessons into practice.
In the past three games, with the Spurs still undermanned because of health and protocols absences, Walker is averaging 16 points, while hitting 10 of 24 3-point tries.
He is coming off a 19-point outing in Monday's overtime loss to Brooklyn that included new career bests in 3-pointers made (five) and attempted (10).
It is a run Walker hoped to continue as the Spurs hosted
New York in the second game of a back-to-back Tuesday.
“He is playing pretty confidently,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is learning how to play the game.”
Consistency has not been Walker’s strong suit throughout his third NBA season. He will be first to admit it. Though Spurs fans have been clamoring for Walker to play a major role since the team drafted him 18th overall out of Miami in 2018, it wasn’t until March of last season that Walker earned an every-night role in Popovich’s rotation.
After the NBA suspended its season because of the coronavirus, Walker emerged as a starter for the Spurs in the Orlando, Fla., reboot.
This has been Walker’s first season with a permanent role, and the learning lessons have been real. Awakened by his deep-dive film session in Charlotte, Walker has been working on the mental part of his game.
“Just reading my defender,” Walker said. “If I get a catch and shoot, shoot it. If I can drop by him and drive him, do that. Just trying to grow my game and play the right way. Play smarter.”
That is one way to work himself out of a funk.
In 14 games between Jan. 11 and Feb. 9, Walker failed to reach double figures 11 times. During his first three appearances of February, he totaled six points.
Walker had 14 points after halftime Monday against the Nets. He also logged zero turnovers in 37 minutes.
Popovich has noticed a different Walker since the Spurs returned from their unexpected vacation in Charlotte.
“He’s understanding what is going on — score, time, good shots, bad shots, being consistent defensively,” Popovich said. He’s doing all those things better.”
The Spurs’ COVID-19 situation seems to have provided Walker with an opportunity. After starting the first 25 games of the season, Walker moved to the bench Feb. 9 as Derrick White moved into the first five.
With White among the five players unavailable while in health and safety protocols, Walker has been re-inserted into starting lineup.
Walker has often been at his best this season when the Spurs were short staffed. In mid-january, when leading scorer Demar Derozan was out for two games visiting his ill father, Walker combined for 49 points in a loss at Minnesota and victory at Oklahoma City.
Monday against Brooklyn marked Walker’s highest-scoring performance since then.
“He’s taking on a little bit more responsibility offensively,” center Jakob Poeltl said. “Because we are a little shorthanded, we don’t have as deep a team anymore. He has been really confident on offense, trying to make plays for himself or others.”
Walker’s confidence and playmaking abilities were on full display during one sequence in the third quarter against the Nets.
Having collected the rebound after Kyrie Irving misfired on a 3-pointer, Walker raced to midcourt.
From there, he threaded a one-handed pass between four outstretched arms belonging to Brooklyn’s Bruce Brown and Deandre Jordan, hitting streaking teammate Dejounte Murray for a layup.
That pulled the Spurs within 72-71 with 5:09 to go. On the Spurs’ next possession, Murray canned a jumper for their first lead of the game.
The most spectacular of his four assists Monday, though, was a throwback to his formative years on the court.
“I have been doing that since seventh, eighth grade,” Walker said. “Boosting my teammates, that’s what I love to do.”
If it took five days in Charlotte for Walker to find his way back to playing like a kid again.
“I’m just trying to continue to play my game, continue to grow and be the best Lonnie Walker I can be,” Walker said. “I have been having my ups and downs. I’m still trying to put it all together.”
That is one item on Walker’s lengthy to-do list.
One day, he will also be fluent in Spanish.