The Brooklyn Nets —specifically interim head coach Kevin Ollie —may have a problem on their hands.
As if the team being 26-26, 11th in the East wasn’t bad enough. As if the team being 5-13 under Ollie wasn’t bad enough. Ollie may be suffering from a bad case of nepotism.
Lonnie Walker IV Speaks Out After Head-Scratching Kevin Ollie Critique
“We look at everything in totality …it’s just not points,” Ollie said last Tuesday, per SB Nation’s Net Income. “We want guys that come in here and play with energy and [Lonnie Walker IV] does that most of the time. But hopefully he can just take care of his minutes and it’s on him to make me play him more.”
Those are strange comments to hear from Ollie, considering Walker is routinely a spark off the bench. Not just with points, although he was averaging 11.5 points per game and shooting 43.3 percent before the All-Star Break. Walker simply plays a high-energy style when he’s on the floor, which is easily seen when he’s attacking the rim. It’s also shown up on the defensive end, though that’s still an area of growth for the 25-year-old.
That being said, Ollie going out of his way to ensure Most Improved Player candidate Cam Thomas develops his game and gets opportunities. As a result, it seems like favoritism on the part of the interim head coach, rather than just merit-based decision-making.
Even with Walker in a slump since the All-Star Break, he played twice as many games before All-Star Weekend (34) than he has since (17). That’s twice as much evidence for Walker making a positive impact for the Nets than not.
Still, as Walker says, “it’s all about growth.”
“I think that’s something that I’m trying to accomplish,” he explains. “I haven’t reached my prime yet, in my opinion. So just trying to reach that moment and continue to get those building blocks.”
Playing just 15.7 minutes per game under Ollie, Walker hasn’t been making the decisions easy for the incumbent leader. Walker has been averaging just 7.0 points and 0.3 steals per game, shooting 33.1 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from 3.
Not producing much of anything, his recent play is a far cry from how he performed under former head coach Jacque Vaughn. Averaging 18.4 minutes per game, Walker averaged 11.8 points and 0.7 steals per game. He shot 47.8 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from 3.
Yet, in a strange occurrence, Walker did begin to hit his stride with the Nets with Ollie as the head man. For a few games at least. In a three-game stretch (that included a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers) Walker averaged 17.7 points, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game. He shot 47.6 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from 3.
In the eight games since? He’s averaged just 11.8 minutes per game.
What’s particularly notable about the situation is that in the three games that Walker excelled, Thomas was out of the lineup with an injury. In the eight games where Walker saw a dramatic reduction in his minutes, Thomas averaged 35.7 minutes per game.
“I don’t think it negatively affects me. You might have your ups and downs, your days where you might not feel as much,” Walker says of his roller-coaster season. “But for the most part, I got a great family around me that really supports me and I understand that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
What’s Next for Lonnie Walker IV?
An unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Walker appears bound for a new home this summer.
Though his market isn’t likely to be robust, a role with a rebuilding team could lead to more playing time. A return to the San Antonio Spurs could be in the cards with Cedi Osman becoming a free agent this offseason. The Portland Trail Blazers could also be an option. Just the second team in NBA history to start five rookies, they’re clearly in development mode.
