Lonnie Walker IV was one of the Nets’ best players earlier in the season, as he was the most reliable offensive option off the bench. Before a knee injury took him out for a month, Walker was a legitimate candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Unfortunately, he has been in a slump recently, which led to reduced minutes from interim head coach Kevin Ollie. In the most recent game against the Spurs, Lonnie only played 11 minutes and could not even score a point.
“We look at everything in totality, it's not just points. We want guys to come in there and play with energy, and he does that most of the time,” Coach Ollie said after the loss to San Antonio. “Hopefully, he can just take care of these minutes. It's on him to make me play him more.”
Lonnie must be up for the challenge
Ollie is known to challenge his players to play better. Even Walker experienced that in the March 5 game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Lonnie got subbed out after missing an easy rebound, which led to the Sixers scoring. Coach KO put him back in, which led to Walker responding well.
Lonnie finished the game with 19 points, providing the spark the Nets needed to win a tough matchup against Philly. The former Miami Hurricane was glad Coach Ollie challenged him because it helped him lock in and not make any more mistakes.
For the upcoming games of the Nets’ season, Walker must step up to the plate again. The team needs him to play better since Brooklyn needs a powerful offensive punch. They can’t keep relying on Cameron Thomas and a misfiring Mikal Bridges.
Lonnie will get the opportunity
Despite his reduced minutes, Lonnie can convince Coach Ollie and the rest of the staff to keep playing him. He needs a few more minutes to make an impact, as he’s the type of player to score points in a short burst.
Coach Ollie always gives his players opportunities to shine as long as he can see them working hard in practice. Walker is known as one of the hardest workers on the roster, which could continue to be vital for the rest of the season.
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