Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Game IV: How Spurs Ex Lonnie Walker Rejuvenated Career
It's not often that another player on a LeBron James-led team gets the spotlight in the playoffs, and when it did happen, it wasn't always pretty.
Even still, James' teammates have played a big part of his championship contending teams. Big man Anthony Davis' arrival to Los Angeles boosted the Lakers to a 2020 title, but since then, injuries have plagued both of the Lakers' superstars, and the city has gone without a title for the last two seasons.
Those injuries did allow other players to step up in absence of James and Davis, however. Hometown hero Russell Westbrook tried his hand for a season and a half, as did Montrezl Harrell, Dwight Howard and even Carmelo Anthony, but no pairing seemed to produce success for James and the Lakers.
That narrative changed this season.
Former San Antonio Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV got his chance in LA at the start of the year, seemingly replacing the gap left by Malik Monk last season. In his first 39 games before February's trade deadline, Walker received high praise from fans and from teammates, averaging 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists while never playing under 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, that did not last much longer after the trade deadline. The Lakers didn't find the success they were looking for, dealt Westbrook and brought in key role players like Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell.
Those three helped change the course of the Lakers' season, but displaced Walker at the same time in a move that Lakers coach Darvin Ham called "no fault of his own".
"We made the trades, [Lonnie] had an injury, and there were a lot of other circumstances that weren't his fault," Ham said. "But he remained a trooper, remained professional, high-spirited and positive ... to the point where he did crack the rotation."
Cracking the rotation meant that Walker saw minutes similar to the beginning of the season. Most of them came in garbage time against Memphis in Round 1, or in the Lakers' blowout loss to the Warriors in Game 2 of the second round.
But it was enough.
"As a kid, I always dreamed of not just being a part of the playoffs, but impacting it," Walker said.
And with 15 seconds left of Game 4 and the series 2-1 in the Lakers' favor, Walker stepped up to the free throw line to solidify his impact.
Was he thinking about all of the times he wished it was him during the latter half of the regular season? Had he already preemptively decided to search for another suitor in the league after the season was over?
None of that mattered for Walker in the moment, as he hit the two free throws to put the Lakers up by three. It capped off a 15-point performance — all in the fourth quarter — and etched a page in the LA history books as the Lakers took a 3-1 lead over the defending champions in "The Lonnie Walker Game"
"We don't win this game without Lonnie Walker," James said after the final buzzer. "That's for sure. ... For him to be as young as he is, for him to ... come out and stay ready when his number is called ... [is impressive].
For the first five seasons of his career, Walker was in San Antonio under coach Gregg Popovich. He caught the tail end of a 22-year-long playoff streak in his rookie season, experiencing the postseason for a full seven games before being eliminated in the first round.
His stint with the Lakers marked just the second time of his career being in the postseason, but having been under Popovich in San Antonio showed with the poise he displayed on the court.
"First of all with Coach Pop, it’s always been about professionalism,” Walker said. "We always stayed in the gym, and didn't make the game too complex. With the Spurs, we lived by three things: .5 as far as catch-and-shoot, drive or pass, [and] being as decisive as you can.
"Transitioning to the Lakers," he added, "I'll carry on those same models as far as professionalism, staying in the gym and being decisive. [I'll be] ready to shoot, ready to pass or ready to go for a layup.”
Walker was ready to shoot in Game 4, shooting 67 percent from the floor — all of which came in the fourth quarter. This season, his shooting percentage has been the highest of his career, sitting around 44 percent — which helped the Lakers early on, who have struggled to hit shots all season.
"Not only do you have to be on your P's and Q's, dotting your I's and crossing your T's defensively, but another element is doing it against a phenomenal Warriors team," Ham said. "That was case for Lonnie. He came in, played well ... and he was a force for us."
His impact helped the Lakers to a 3-1 lead, but also justified Walker's mentality that kept him prepared on the bench.
"I'm truly proud of myself," Walker said. "It really shows my capabilities and my mental fortitude. I think the hardest thing about being able to play a lot and then not playing at all is sticking with it. There's a lot of uncontrollable things ... you just have to take it day by day. Every single day [I'm] trying to be better than [I was] yesterday."
As the Lakers continue on their postseason push, they will rely on James and Davis as much as possible. Their depth has been a big factor for them, and Walker is the latest testament of that.
He started as a Spur and became a Laker, but before Monday night, Walker's tenure with Los Angeles was all-but concluded, with the chances of him signing a multi-year contract with the Lakers or elsewhere lower than they had been all-season.
Now, the 24-year-old is one of the most beloved players in Los Angeles, and his career in the league is just getting started — or re-started. Walker rejuvenated his young career in two games, and won't be slowing down any time soon.
"I think my confidence was at an all-time high," Walker said. "Multiple people allowing my to play my game has given me the utmost confidence to allow me to do what I need to do."
"I really can't put into words how truly ecstatic I am to be in this situation," he added. "And to have my teammates with me through thick and thin ... it's a great feeling. I'm really going to cherish this day and soak it all in."
Walker and the Los Angeles Lakers will hit the road to face the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Chase Center Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. CT.
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