San Antonio Spurs Film Study: Lonnie Walker IV

Lonnie Walker IV has been on a rollercoaster of ups and downs through the first half of the season, committing a handful of head-scratching mistakes in between enticing flashes of intriguing potential.

While the numbers say the third-year guard has struggled with efficiency and consistency, they fail to provide the larger picture of his performance within the context of his role on the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite being most engaged with the ball in his hands, Lonnie has spent a large share of his brief time in the league designated as the third, fourth, or fifth option alongside higher usage players.

And according to BBall Index, Walker ranks 37th in defensive matchup difficulty out of the 488 players in their database, which means he often draws incredibly challenging assignments on a near-nightly basis.

Lonnie notched 19 points and four assists against the Nets while guarding James Harden and Kyrie Irving for plenty of possessions, making this a perfect game to dissect his tantalizing two-way ceiling.

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