3 studs and duds from the Lakers offseason acquisitions

1. Lonnie Walker IV

Easily the best and biggest surprise of all of the Laker’s free agent additions has been Lonnie Walker IV. His high-flying dunks and all-out effort on defense have made him an instant fan favorite for a Los Angeles fanbase craving for any feeling of showtime.

Walker IV is a former lottery pick that always was viewed as a talented prospect with a high ceiling and he has gotten closer to reaching it this season. He is averaging career highs in nearly every statistical category mainly because of his increased minutes.

A big reason why he is trending in the right direction is that he has found his “beautiful” shooting stroke once again this season. After having a rough last couple of years from three, he is back up to 36 percent from beyond the arc.

Walker said it best when he proclaimed,

"“My jump shot is too beautiful not to be making any threes.”"

Comparing Walker to past Lakers role players at his position, his ceiling could be as high as perhaps the legendary Michael Cooper if he ever develops into a lockdown on-ball defender. His floor is probably comparable to someone like Shannon Brown who was a contributor on some greatest Lakers teams ever, but never really provided more than highlight reel plays that added jolts of energy.

He will likely fall somewhere in between those estimates, so the Lakers would still be smart to keep him around. In his short stint, he has still already shown enough this season to warrant an extension.