Lonnie Walker has Lakers fans hyped for him with his latest comments

The Los Angeles Lakers opted for bargain bin free agent signings over their usual big splash this offseason, with names like Lonnie Walker spearheading their depth-heavy collection of offseason additions. After failing to live up to his first-round hyper, Walker has become a rehabilitation project.

Walker, who was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, averaged 11.7 points per game over the last two seasons. However, not only were those numbers decried as the byproduct of playing on such a bad team, but they weren’t enough to earn a second contract in San Antonio.

The Lakers are hoping that they can take a premium athlete like Walker and mold him into a player worthy of contributing on a championship team. Walker is certainly doing his part, considering all of the efforts he is putting in during the preseason buildup.

Walker has done so much to improve his game this offseason that he claims he will work out three times before 1:00 p.m. That sort of work ethic is a great way for Walker to endear himself to a fanbase that is dying for some quality bench support after last year’s poor play.

Will Lonnie Walker help fix the Los Angeles Lakers?

Walker needs to fix his efficiency to make an impact in LA. After making 40% of his 3-pointers during his second year in the league, he saw those numbers drop to 36% and 31% in each of the next two seasons. Perhaps with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the floor, he’ll get more open looks.

Walker still has plenty of bounce, and his defense has taken strides in the right direction. LA has not been the best with player development in the last few seasons, but getting Frank Vogel out of town may have been enough to create a situation that helps get the most out of players like the Miami alum.

With new coach Darvin Ham having G League experience and more than a decade under a masterful developer of offensive talent in Mike Budenholzer, LA’s structure may actually be conducive to success for a player as young as Walker.

Don’t expect Walker just to come right in and immediately be the savior for this team. However, getting his efficiency numbers up should help make him a double-digit per game scorer and one of Ham’s top reserves in his quest to get the Lakers back on the right track.

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