luke, the forgotten man.

[tracey_nice]

Wait, so honestly... If I told you my friend has a solid post game, only takes and hits the open jumper, plays good/hard defense on every possession, and looks to pass first on every offensive possession to get the easiest bucket possible for the team -- you would really think he sucks??

Luke doesn't have a 'solid' post game, doesn't hit open jumpers, and is an average defender, at best.

And, my game, I am not exactly sure who it resembles; I am 5'10 pg, I am very quick, good shooter, off the dribble and spot-up, can play selfishly or be unselfish, its relative to the talent I am playing with, really good defender, strong...maybe Baron Davis, or Chauncey, if I had to compare myself to a NBA player, I guess it would be one of them.

And, none of that means I am nearly as good as any of those players, for those that don't know what a comparison is.

[wezbo]

all though luke is a smart and talented player he doesnt bring int eh aspects we need at sf like vlad's shooting, or ariza's defence

BTW im like luke/rodman hybrid, a sf whose a bit slow for his position, but is smart and is a great passer, with a shaky jumper, with rodmans unrelentless rebounds and defence

in my summer league i avg 6pts 10 brds and 3 assts

[kno]

Since joining the Lakers more than four years ago, Luke Walton has emerged as one of the team’s most reliable role players, proving himself the perfect complement to whatever unit he plays with. Specifically, Walton’s game is noted for the following:

Passing: Walton is an expert passer, known for making the “right” pass at the perfect moment, but is also capable of dishing out highlight-level passes as evidenced in his under-the-leg assists from earlier in the season. Luke’s outstanding passing game is tied into his uncanny ability to see the floor from all angles, allowing him to find open teammates with ease.

Basketball Knowledge: Walton obviously hails from a pretty impressive gene pool and it certainly shows in his innate knowledge of the game. Even as a rookie, Luke quickly gained Coach Jackson’s trust by displaying a true awareness on the court, easily picking up the triangle offense and running it to perfection almost immediately. Even as a player with some athletic limitations, Walton’s basketball prowess makes him an invaluable part of the Lakers.

Decision-making: Walton is a player that understands his strengths intimately and rarely goes outside the confines of his game when on the floor. As a result, Luke is an excellent decision-maker, making him especially useful as another floor general for the Lakers. Whether he is passing the ball or creating his own shot, Walton rarely strays from the overall goals of the team on a given night.

Gamesmanship: When the Lakers needed Walton the most at the start of last season with Lamar Odom out with an injury, Luke was up to the challenge. In fact, for much of the 2006-07 season, Walton was arguably the Lakers’ second best player on the floor, complementing Kobe on offense with a newly expanded offensive repertoire that garnered him Most Improved Player buzz around the league.

Post-up Game: Although Walton’s outside shooting has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, the majority of his go-to moves on offense revolve around his carefully crafted post-up game. At 6’8,” Luke has more than enough height and bulk on his frame to muscle down against some of the league’s bigger forwards, allowing him to back down opponents before utilizing his soft touch from about 12 feet in.

Intangibles: Throughout Luke’s tenure in L.A., both Jackson and teammates have praised Luke for the intangibles he brings to the game. Whether the team needed a defensive stop or energy on offense, Walton has been a true glue guy since joining the Lakers. While most of his teammates have defined roles on this year’s squad, Walton often finds himself switching between playing with the starting unit and a reserve role. Regardless of when he makes entrance or whom it is with, Luke is constantly making the game easier for his teammates in one way or another.

[That Nicka]

Luke doesn't have a 'solid' post game, doesn't hit open jumpers, and is an average defender, at best.

If Luke doesnt have a solid post game or hit open jumpers then I dont know how he has shot between a respectable 45-47.4% the last 2 seasons or between 33-39% from 3 the last 2 seasons... You are right, he is an average defender at best but he always tries hard, and no one has ever accused him of doing otherwise... He did an amazing job on Carmelo in the first round as well..

[tracey_nice]

You all make some good points, but Luke really doesn't bring anything to game, he is a very good passer, but he turns the ball over a lot trying to make those extra passes, and he is not outstanding at anything, teams don't really need to defend him.

[Luxury]

2007-2008 Luke signifies turnover in clutch time. I've yelled at the TV because of Luke more than any other player last season.

[kno]

2007-2008 Luke signifies turnover in clutch time. I've yelled at the TV because of Luke more than any other player last season.

In games where a team is leading by no more than 5 points with 5 min left in the 4th or OT, how many TOs did you see Luke commit?

Guess how many he had?

1.

Sorry to be the one to let it be known, but youre yelling at your TV for all the wrong reasons.

[tracey_nice]

I haven't looked at any statistics but from what I've seen Luke was garbage all year, and I found myself upset, or yelling at my T.V. whenever he was on the court; except for the Denver series, were he was terrific.

[milesfides]

Luke had the second highest assist/to ratio on our team, in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Also, Walton ranks 2nd in the NBA (just trailing Kirilenko) among all Small Forwards in percentage of possessions that lead to an assist.

Walton is a great passer and excellent ballhandler.

Walton is also a decent rebounder; his rebounding rate is superior to that of Rudy Gay, Corey Maggette, Gerald Wallace, Ron Artest, Tayshaun Prince, Paul Pierce, Iguodala, etc.

So how is all that "garbage?" We're one of the best passing teams in basketball, and what, Walton has nothing to do with it?

The only reason why anybody would be upset at Walton would be for his inconsistent shooting. Yet he blows Ariza's shooting out of the water (40% efg to 33% efg on jumpshots). In fact, Walton's efg% on jumpers is virtually identical to Odom's. But one must consider the fact that Walton was limping around on a bad ankle for a large part of the season. He had no lift on his shot whatsoever. That also explains why Walton shot 45% when he was relatively healthy in '06-'07 (Odom still shot 40%).

Also, people need to get off the synthetic ball stuff. First of all, the ball change occurred in January, and Luke got hurt in January. In fact, he missed all of February and some of March as well. HE WAS HURT. In fact, he picked up his game as the season went on, shooting 44% in March, 48% in April. After the all star break, Walton dropped from 48% to 46% overall, and 40% to 37% on threes.

People need to get some perspective. 48% and 40% is insane if Walton kept that up all year. That he came back to earth (or was hampered by injury) is no reason to dismiss him as "garbage."

46% and 37% is hella respectable for a small forward, especially one coming back from injury.

And his defense? Has anybody seen Radmanovic's defense? Walton at least tries - and when he's healthy, he's a solid defender.

Bottom line, whether he's healthy or not, Walton will find ways to contribute (passing, rebounding, playing hard). When he's healthy, he's a much better shooter - that's a fact.

When healthy, you could say Luke Walton is the best small forward on this team - and that might include Lamar Odom, who struggled in that role earlier this past season.

[That Nicka]

People who dont appreciate a player like Luke Walton just dont understand enough about the game of basketball imho

[tracey_nice]

^^I couldn't disagree with that more, and I think a lot of Laker fans would too.

[kno]

^^I couldn't disagree with that more, and I think a lot of Laker fans would too.

This thread is saying otherwise.

[BitonKOBE]

luke walton can play up to his contract. i hope he excels this year.

[Ballings7]

I really liked Luke in 06-07, emerging as really one of the better role-players in the league, and a consistent key guy to your team... but the injuries and losing that jumpshot took him down a level. He needs to be healthier and get that range on his j back.

[dockingsched]

People who dont appreciate a player like Luke Walton just dont understand enough about the game of basketball imho

thats usually how i feel about people when talking about luke. the guy was obviously hampered by injuries all yr. he had no lift and his jumpshot, post game, and confidence in general suffered. he began to force a lot of passes because thats all he could do. i really don't understand why people are so hard on him and just flat out refuse to acknowledge the effects injuries had on his game.

people that lump him in the "must dump his contract at all costs" category that radman is in just don't get it.

[Mindflayer]

+1 miles. The only problem is that Walton always seems to be injured. Walton is the one guy that will always play triangle basketball.

[kobeaki]

Ive always been a fan of Luke's game. Matter of fact, my game resembles that of a healthy Luke. lol.

I feel as is Luke will have a jump in production just as Sasha had last season. I honestly feel he will be a key contributor this upcoming season, having an impact similar to Fisher's.

When healthy, like you said, he was a great player (great in relation to other levels we've seen him play at). He was a warrior and played through the whole last season hobbling up and down the court. He knows he has to help his team out, which is one of the reasons why I believe he will come back with a vengeance.

I too, say dont sleep on Luke.

validation...not that anyone really pays close attention to my posts, but ive been fighting the good fight for luke all last season....if he sukks its cause his body is broken, not cause he actually sukks...

can you imagine if luke or his dad had had kwame or even seldom campbells bodies...yeesh...

as to the op, hell no dont sleep on luke....