The 3 worst defenders on the Los Angeles Lakers roster this season
By Jason Reed
2. Lonnie Walker
In theory, Lonnie Walker should be a good defensive player at the NBA level. While he is not the biggest two-guard, he has the kind of length that really plays well on the perimeter both as a close-out defender and as someone who can intercept passing lanes and create fastbreak opportunities.
That has not translated in the traditional box score as Walker averages less than one combined steals + blocks per game in his career. That, in turn, has resulted in poor advanced defensive metrics for the 23-year-old.
Walker has the second-worst DPS among Lakers players this season and was one of the worse players in the league. Walker finished with a -43.66 DPS last season, putting him in the sixth percentile in the statistic.
Like Reaves, the potential is there for Walker. He has the physical traits to play solid defense and learning from Patrick Beverley and Anthony Davis could be very important for his career. That being said, it is not like Walker is coming from a team that had bad coaching. He just played for one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
It will be interesting to see how Walker plays in LA because he has to have the biggest disparity between his floor and ceiling of any player on the Lakers this season.