RealGM

As one of the headlining wings projected to go in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft, the 6-foot-4.5, 196-pound Lonnie stands out with his explosive athleticism, smooth pull-up shooting off the dribble, and the ability to defend multiple positions given his 6-foot-10 wingspan. He’s an active body with a hyperactive mind.

“When I’m playing the game, I think outside of the box,” Lonnie, a self-described geek and nerd, tells me. “It’s just about having a level of thought that keeps the mind interested to gain knowledge from anything you might see. Growing up, I was just a sponge when it came to knowledge of anything.”

Walker is not your conventional one-and-done player, not your conventional shooting guard, and certainly not your conventional 19-year-old. He asks a lot of questions that often run counter to accepted truths. But one thing, in his mind, isn’t up for debate: “Whether it’s five, six, seven years from now, I kind of see myself as a future NBA star, a franchise player,” he declares. “Why not?”

The coaching staff, however, never lost track of why they fell in love with Walker in the first place. Adam Fisher, Miami’s director-of-basketball-ops-turned-assistant-coach, had been keeping an eye on Lonnie because of their mutual Pennsylvania roots....

“When he ran the court, he reminded me of Usain Bolt. He flew down the side of the court like it was a sprint in a 100-yard dash,” Larrañaga told me. “He has those natural skills that are very easy to evaluate. He’s fast, he jumps, he’s graceful, athletic. He’s that prototype 2-guard in the NBA, but he’s probably going to be able to play both the 1 and the 2 once he gains more experience.”

To understand Lonnie Walker IV, you have to understand the Lonnie Walker that came before him. Walker III filled Lonnie’s childhood room with everything from paint brushes to musical instruments. And a basketball. He had learned through reading books that some cultures believe putting a child in a room full of creative tools will lead them to their destiny....

Walker III had transferred to Alvernia from a New Jersey junior college where he became ineligible, and following a stint of homelessness, he made his way to Reading, still trying to pursue a basketball career. But once Lonnie was born in 1998, the priorities shifted. Though he still wanted to pursue a basketball career of some sort, Walker took on full single-parent responsibilities when Lonnie turned 3, working multiple jobs as a cook and selling T-shirts and sunglasses that he’d buy wholesale to sell at parades. He’d also take Lonnie to his own basketball games at summer league games around Philadelphia.

This was what Walker III wanted for his son: balance, perspective, and an ability to think for himself. The real work came not when Lonnie was inserted into the AAU circuit at 8 years old, but rather in the books his father threw at him, the classical music he played for him, and the discipline he instilled in him. Basketball was a channel for purpose and a vessel for safety, to keep a routine so as not to get involved in the same drugs and violence that tragically killed more than one of Lonnie’s friends when he was growing up....

His curiosity about the world, and specifically third-world countries, isn’t all just for self-exploration. Lonnie wants to turn his research into action. First, he’ll start in Reading, he says, where he wants to provide books and school supplies for kids, and then eventually, do “like LeBron” and give scholarships, too. Then he’ll branch out to Africa and other parts of the world in need of assistance, bringing water, building schools, houses, and churches. “I want to change the world, somehow, someway,” Lonnie says. His father certainly won’t count out the possibility. “Whatever he does, I think it’s going to involve helping people,” Walker III says. “He helped me. He made me want to be a better person.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich loves players who are interested in the world and who care about more than just basketball. In that sense, the Spurs selected the perfect player for Popovich when they nabbed Lonnie Walker IV on Thursday night with the 18th pick in the NBA Draft, professional basketball trainer Chris Gaston said.

“He’s a very introspective kid, very smart, very intellectual,” Gaston said. “His conversations are about more than basketball. His parents did a great job with him.”

Walker, 19, spent the past three months training with Gaston in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

“He never missed a day,” Gaston said of the 6-foot-5 native of Reading, Pa. “He took it as a job and he didn’t come in joking. He took the whole process seriously. He just wants to get better and he was soaking up knowledge. He was an open book.”

Walker averaged 11.5 points per game while shooting 37.6 percent from 3-point range (44 of 117) in his only season at Miami to become the first freshman to lead the Hurricanes in scoring since 2000-01.

“His jump shot reminds me of Ray Allen,” Gaston said. “He’s got picture-perfect form, perfect balance.”

NBA scouting reports touted Walker’s “outstanding physical tools, strong frame, long arms and quick feet,” all of which Gaston can attest to.

Another safe bet: It won’t take him long to have some deep conversations with Popovich.

“He’s a high-intellect guy,” Gaston said. “He figures things out, and if he doesn’t know it, he asks questions. He’s a perfect fit for the Spurs. He will fit in well in that culture.”

The Adidas Basketball squad just got even stronger. The brand announced today that two of the top prospects projected to be lottery picks in the NBA Draft tomorrow will be signing with the brand.

It’s Trae Young and Lonnie Walker IV that will be wearing the Three Stripes when they hit the court for their rookie season this fall. Adidas announced the two stars’ commitment via a press release and short social media video clip on Tuesday.

Lonnie Walker is also primed to be a future star in the NBA. After completing a successful freshman season with the Miami Hurricanes, the athletic shooting guard is projected as a top-15 pick in most mock drafts. According to Adidas, “explosive scoring, unrivaled work ethic and creativity in the paint is what will elevate Walker to the next level.”

Spurs great David Robinson had some words of advice for Lonnie Walker IV while sitting next to the former Miami guard for his post-draft interview with ESPN on Thursday night in Brooklyn.

"The great thing is, they will take care of you," Robinson said, referring to the Spurs, who selected Walker 18th overall. "Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) is a guy you've just got to trust. He'll put you in a situation where you can be successful. You're going to thrive there."

"I feel like being able to play with the Spurs and being coached by someone like Gregg Popovich is going to teach me how to be great. Simple as that," Walker told reporters in Brooklyn. "He knows everything about the game, and he's got something special coming toward San Antonio...."

"It's always bigger than basketball," Walker said. "(Popovich) knows things about outside life. I'm ready to talk to him and learn and collect data from a guy like Popovich."

UDRIH14 wrote:this guy has to be first off the bench or in starting position over green/mills/forbes rotation..im done with those 3 stooges after the crap season they just had...

the youth talent on the team atm is just as good as the 00-03 rebuilding years through the draft...

i wonder if its possible to shift murry to the 3, have anderson at the 4, white/walker at the 1/2 positions... scoring is always going to be an issue with the spurs as shown last year where some spurts of the game like 3-4mins they couldnt hit a fg...

UDRIH14 wrote:has it been confirmed what number his wearing?

GREY 1769 wrote:

UDRIH14 wrote:has it been confirmed what number his wearing?

Not yet. Funny enough, both of our draft picks wore the #4 in college. Of course, Derrick White wears it now for the Spurs, so they'll both have to choose another number.

UDRIH14 wrote:

GREY 1769 wrote:

UDRIH14 wrote:has it been confirmed what number his wearing?

Not yet. Funny enough, both of our draft picks wore the #4 in college. Of course, Derrick White wears it now for the Spurs, so they'll both have to choose another number.

green shouldve kept no.4, ever since he change his number his been playing like a bonafide scrub

actually, whatever happen to the hot start he had, had he kept it up he wouldve been all defense 2nd team again

as for walker, hope he wears no.3...ala jax

“I’m sorry about my voice,” Walker rasps in apology to a caller from San Antonio. “I’ve been screaming for two days straight since the draft....” The dynamic 19-year-old guard from Miami was once a five-star recruit out of Reading (Pennsylvania) High, was one of the most explosive athletes on Thursday’s draft board and — the Spurs hope — is a future NBA star in the making. He is also a world-class talker. If the goal of the draft was to select the player who would be most fun on a deserted island, Walker would have gone No. 1. He can converse on most any subject, from basketball to politics to astronomy to animals. He is much more likely to be found watching the Discovery Channel or National Geographic than SportsCenter....

Walker says he has always harbored a thirst for knowledge, as insatiable as his quest for the perfect crossover dribble.... Walker III handed down a love of basketball to his son. He was also determined Lonnie Walker IV would not become a stereotypical “dumb jock.” Walker III made sure his son always had a basketball around. He also kept classical music and art supplies handy. When Walker IV would come home from school each day, his father’s rule was simple: One hour of reading and one hour of writing, then you can work on your jump shot....

First and foremost, Walker is a product of his hardscrabble hometown. It was during an early trip to visit Walker that Larranga observed the tight bond between his prospective recruit and the town of Reading.... “Kids were waiting outside for his autograph,” Larranaga said. “Adults wanted to take a picture with him. He was an icon....” Reading is a town of about 87,000, nestled halfway between Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg.
At the time of the 2010 census, Reading had the highest percentage of citizens living in poverty in the nation. For Walker, basketball became not only a way out, but a platform from which to point others toward the exit, too....

“Don’t use Reading as an excuse to why you can’t do something positive,” Walker said. “If you want to be the next president, go be the next president. If you want to be a janitor, be the best janitor. If you want to be an amazing teacher, be an amazing teacher. “Growing up in Reading doesn’t have to be a reason you can’t.” Walker’s love for his hometown shone through in his pre-draft interview with Spurs staffers at the May combine in Chicago. “He has become a real positive role model for young kids in a community that has had difficult circumstances,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. “He really takes pride in providing inspiration to his community.”

Of course, the Spurs did not exhaust a first-round draft pick on Walker simply because he is a nice guy and a renaissance man. They tabbed Walker with their highest original draft choice since 1997 because they think he can play. In his lone season at Miami, Walker averaged 11.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He earned All-ACC honorable mention honors, and was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team. The numbers don’t scream off the page. In assessing Walker’s freshman season, however, Spurs staffers focused on what he did at the end of games....

“He was a piece of the leadership team in their program,” Buford said. “He had to take a lot of responsibility as a freshman and it didn’t faze him....”

“I don’t believe in the word pressure,” Walker said. “This is what I want. I’m comfortable in my own skin. If I pass or if I fail, I’m OK because I did it and nobody else.”

One of the most physically gifted guards in the draft, Walker struggled to find consistency with Miami in part because of the mix of personnel.... Although his no-show games are certainly partially his own doing, expect Walker to be put in a more advantageous situation in the NBA than he was at Miami, and he could end up developing into one of the draft's biggest steals, depending on where he lands.... Walker figures to play alongside guards with better feel in the NBA, allowing him to focus on being a transition athlete, on-the-move shooter, straight-line slasher and defender, while gradually growing the rest of his game.