Miami basketball alum Lonnie Walker able to focus solely on basketball
With his one-year collegiate career over Miami basketball alum, Lonnie Walker has been able to focus on just basketball. After training in California for three weeks, Walker is in Chicago this week for the NBA Combine.
Miami basketball alum Lonnie Walker spoke with Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald to discuss where his game is at and how and what he has been doing at the Combine. Walker is projected to be a late lottery pick to about 20th in the NBA Draft next month.
At the combine, the players undergo interviews with various NBA executives and participate in numerous drills. Among the exercises they engage in are lane agility time, shuttle run, three-quarter spring, standing vertical leap, max vertical leap and max bench press. Walker has yet to participate at the time of the writing of this post.
Scouts love Walker’s athleticism. CBSSports.Com’s Gary Parish projects Walker going 16th to the Phoenix Suns. He would join another Miami Basketball alum Davon Reed with the Suns. Parish said Walker is a “strong-framed shooting guard with a future.”
Walker spoke to Miller Degnan about a variety of topics relating to his burgeoning NBA career. Among the things he discussed with her was how it felt to be at the combine, the importance of being able to focus solely on basketball and what he can bring to the table with NBA teams.
"“I feel like I’m in heaven. Just the fact that I’m sitting here in this hotel room in Chicago for the NBA Combine feels like a dream…I grew up thinking, `I wonder what it’s like to be in the NBA?’ and `I can’t wait to get to the NBA,’ and here I am, entering this world.It’s insane. I’m trying to look calm, but inside, I’m jumping around like a little kid. For the first time in my entire life, I’m focusing only on basketball, and I can’t put into words how different I feel and how amazing it is…I look different. My body fat is down. I look more toned. I feel different. Physically, I’ve never been pushed like this before and never been in such great shape. My friends and my family say they’ve never seen me in this type of zone.”I’m very confident with what I bring to the table on and off the court,…Teams are going to be shocked when they find out who I am and how I speak and that I have a lot of interests outside basketball.”"
Live Feed
Lake Show Life
Miller Degnan reported that Walker spent three weeks in California with trainer Chris Gaston preparing for the combine. The Miami basketball alum told her that he worked on some of his weaknesses including his left hand, if he has a preference on which team selects him and the adjustment to the NBA.
"“I’m turning some weaknesses into strengths…As long as I have on a jersey with an NBA name across the chest.Those are grown men out there, and some of them have kids as old as me…They have families to feed. It’s still a game, but this is serious. But I don’t feel nervous. Not at all. I can’t wait.”"
Walker’s agent Happy Walter discussed how he has been prepared his body for the grind of an NBA season and the expectations of what will happen in the NBA Draft.
"“We all forget that the college season is 30-something games, including the tournament, and in the NBA, that’s your preseason and the first three weeks of the season…NBA teams play about 100 games, so that’s three college seasons.”“A lot of teams look at what Lonnie might be able to do going forward that he didn’t really get a chance to do at UM in a short season where he didn’t play a ton of minutes early.Teams draft on potential, and in Lonnie’s case, he showed some signs of greatness, and I think teams want to see how great he can be, what the real upside is for a kid who just turned 19 in December."
Next: Could Miami basketball guard Lonnie Walker slip out of the lottery?
Walker has a well-rounded game that should translate well in the association. He has good athleticism, can develop into an efficient three-point shooter and is already a good on-ball defender. The scouts are not concerned by his 34.6 percent three-point percentage in his lone season of college basketball.