Many had Lonnie Walker IV penciled in as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate early this season. After signing for the minimum, the Brooklyn Nets guard emerged as one of the team's top offensive threats to open the year, averaging 15.7 points on 50/47/79 shooting splits over his first 15 appearances.
The former first-round pick presented an efficient three-level scorer in the Nets' second unit. He did so while mixing in acrobatic finishes and explosive dunks no other player on Brooklyn's roster was capable of.
Fast forward four months and Walker has fallen to the bottom of Brooklyn's rotation amid a coaching change. Despite the Nets ranking 24th in offense under interim head coach Kevin Ollie, the 25-year-old has averaged 11.6 minutes over their last eight games, the 11th-most on the team. The declining trend culminated in a DNP-CD Wednesday at Washington despite Cam Johnson and Dennis Smith Jr. missing the game.
Ollie revealed the reason for Walker's lack of playing time ahead of Friday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls.
“It's part of the rotation,” the coach said. “I keep telling him it's not all just about scoring. It's about doing all the other little things: playing defense, rebounding, making the right plays, and that's just how it is. So having him continue to understand that. When your shot’s not falling, doing the other things to make an impact on the game.”
Lonnie Walker IV's numbers amid decreased Nets minutes
While no one will mistake Walker for a shutdown defender, his advanced numbers have been far from pedestrian this season. He has posted a -0.4 defensive estimated plus-minus, ranking in the 64th percentile among shooting guards, per DunksandThrees.com.
His rebounding, however, has left something to be desired. Walker is averaging 4.3 rebounds per 36 minutes, the third-fewest on the Nets, ahead of just Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder.
The Miami product has struggled mightily in recent weeks amid his minutes decrease. Walker is averaging 2.8 points on 23.7 percent shooting from the field (9-of-38) and 9.5 percent from three (2-of-21) over his last eight appearances. Despite the dramatic turn of events, the former first-round pick is rolling with the punches in his sixth NBA season, per Newsday's Evan Barnes.
“I don’t think it negatively affects me. You might have your ups and downs, your days where you might not feel as much,” he said. “But for the most part, I got a great family around me that really supports me and I understand that there’s light at the end of the tunnel… It’s all about growth. I think that’s something that I’m trying to accomplish.
“I haven’t reached my prime yet, in my opinion. So just trying to reach that moment and continue to get those building blocks.”
Lonnie Walker IV's diminished role does not bode well for the prospect of him returning to Brooklyn in 2024-25. The Nets currently have $125 million committed to 11 players on their books for next season. With the luxury tax set for $172 million and Nic Claxton expected to command a deal north of $20 million annually, Brooklyn could have roughly $27 million to fill three remaining roster spots.
Walker's play early this year should be enough to earn him a raise above the minimum. The Nets will have the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend on free agents.
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