Should the Boston Celtics try to trade for the Brooklyn Nets’ Lonny Walker IV ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline? They could certainly use a bit more scoring off the bench, but how is the fit of Walker’s game with what Boston would need from him in such a role? Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently weighed in on this question, and was not impressed with the potential of such a pairing despite the Nets wing being linked to Boston in recent reporting.
“His production is erratic, but his good nights can be hugely helpful,” writes Buckley. “He has netted 20-plus points six times this season, and he logged fewer than 28 minutes in all but one of those tilts. However, he is basically a (6-foot-4) scoring specialist.”
“What are the chances he could actually crack the playoff rotation?” asks the B/R analyst, and while we are higher on that potentiality, we have to admit, it wouldn’t likely be the minutes he has been used to in Brooklyn.
Celtics Lab 239: Previewing Boston's 2024 NBA trade deadline possibilities with Jack Simone https://t.co/YylXtT2oMt pic.twitter.com/Lurc0mNHwm
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 6, 2024
Buckley asks us “what would make Walker’s quick-strike scoring the better choice than Pritchard’s superior shooting and ball-control?”, and it’s a fair question. “Walker is bigger and a better athlete, sure, but his physical tools have never translated to consistent defense.”
That a 6-foot-1 guard already on Boston’s roster is a better defender and less prone to miss time injured has the B/R analyst suggesting the Celtics stay clear, and we concur.
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