Lonnie Walker IV
Position: Shooting guard
Height: 6-4
Weight: 196
School: Miami
Walker, a Reading native, was a McDonald's All-American coming out of Reading High School. He was considered one of the top recruits in the class and the No. 1 recruit out of Pennsylvania.
Walker was a one-and-done volume scorer for the Hurricanes. After starting just one of Miami's first 14 games, he became a fixture as a starter over the final 18 contests. In that 18-game span, Walker averaged 14 points a game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from three (6.3 attempts a game). Overall, he finished with a team-high 11.5 points a night.
Philadelphia 76ers
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He was named All-ACC rookie first team and All-ACC honorable mention. He was just the fourth Miami freshman to lead the team in scoring.
Strengths
Walker is a flat out scorer. He has a smooth shooting stroke and he's not afraid to show it off. He's an aggressive slasher with an explosive first step. He makes quick decisions and gets downhill in a hurry. He's creative finishing at the rim and can finish through contact. He also features a nice floater.
Defensively, he has the wingspan (6-10) and quick feet to grow into a good NBA defender.
Weaknesses
Walker's handle and vision are just OK. His overall offensive feel, including shot selection, is lacking at times. He's a little undersized at the two so longer defenders may cause him problems. He's not great moving off the ball. While his shot is smooth, he could benefit from a quicker release.
His defense wasn't consistent. Might struggle defensively with bigger and stronger twos.
NBA comparison
The Dallas Mavericks' Wesley Matthews. Like Matthews, Walker is a microwave scorer with strong slashing ability and a smooth outside shot. Walker is a more explosive athlete – a more explosive version of Matthews would be a damn good basketball player.
How he'd fit with Sixers
He'd be a really intriguing fit. I'm not sure he could help them next season, but developing him as a volume scorer to come off the bench could be the move. The concern would be the similarities between Walker and last year's No. 1 overall pick, Markelle Fultz. They both have that herky-jerky style that allows them to create space, though Fultz was obvioulsy the better college player.
He'd likely spend the majority of his rookie year in the G-League, but the Sixers could use more shot creators and shot makers in their pipeline. Walker certainly fits that bill.
Draft projection
Walker will likely be there at 10. He could go anywhere from the Sixers' pick to the late teens. He did have surgery for a torn meniscus about a year ago. If the medicals check out, he's likely a top-15 pick.
