BOSTON — Even if Lonnie Walker IV knows the answer to some of the questions he’s asking, it doesn’t matter. As an Exhibit 10 contract signee at Celtics training camp, all he’s trying to do is soak up as much information as possible. So when given an added opportunity in the Celtics’ preseason win over the 76ers, Walker ran with it.
Walker finished the blowout victory with solid counting stats, putting up nine points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in his 25 minutes. But his impact went beyond the box score as it’s also about how he fit with the rest of the roster. Walker was solid overall, playing within the offense and looking to be a pest defensively. He knows the Celtics don’t need a scorer — what he’s been known for throughout his career — so the 25-year-old guard is reinventing himself on the fly.
“One thing that I’m really trying to make is just the aspect of what Jrue and Derrick White do, defensively and offensively,” Walker said. “They crashing the boards offensively, offensive boards for second-chance points and making the right reads and just being the overall tool guy that can do a little bit of everything. I’m watching them two as best as I can.”
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Walker got his first extended run with the Celtics in the preseason win, totaling 25 minutes. In the two Abu Dhabi games, Walker totaled just 11 minutes as there weren’t many opportunities to go around. But Saturday, he got to play with the second unit, namely guys like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and others. So that’s a positive sign for the roster hopeful.
For Exhibit 10 guys like Walker, there’s a time limit in terms of how much they can show the team. That’s life as a tryout hopeful. But Walker has already spoken about how he’ll be okay playing in the G League if it comes to that. Despite those external pressures, Walker said he doesn’t view it that way.
“I don’t really believe in pressure,“ Walker said. ”I’ve been playing this game my whole life, and that all comes with my preparation that I’ve been doing. Being one of the first people in the gym and one of the last people out, coming in at night to get shots up. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure I’m mentally and physically prepared for whatever might be happening.”
Realistically, it’s difficult to make the Celtics roster even though they have their 15th slot open. The team has kept that final spot available for flexibility and salary cap purposes. But there is value in having a guy like Walker as part of the organization — this is a seventh-year pro and a guy with 322 career games played, after all. Walker will look to keep showing flashes for the rest of the preseason, which includes a couple games and more practices.
“He’s been really good,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think it’s an adjustment coming here because it’s just a different style of basketball, and I like his open-mindedness to learning. I like his patience. It’s funny when you get a guy like him who’s been in the league for seven years. I saw some things from him today that he might not think are important — or other people won’t — but they’re really, really important things, defensively and then offensively.”
