Head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics shared his initial impressions of the new Celtic. During the 2024 NBA Offseason, Lonnie Walker was the only free agent signed by the Boston Celtics. Following their addition to the defending champions, who maintained the majority of their score, Mazzulla complimented Walker’s all-around skill set as a player in an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
He has played in many games and has been a part of the league for a long time. Thus, he can affect the game defensively, has experience, and can score goals, according to Mazzulla. But Mazzulla made it clear what Walker needs to change in order to blend in with the Celtics. “It doesn’t really matter who you are; all we ask is that guys come in, work hard, and pay attention to the little things.
Give it your all and play the best part you can for the squad. Walker made a name for himself as a scorer while playing with the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. He might grab the final roster spot that the Celtics have available. Nevertheless, it will be expensive to contract him to a veteran’s minimum because they are deep into the NBA’s luxury tax.
Reporters Question Lonnie Walker’s Ability to Make the Celtics Walker signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics, so there’s no assurance he’ll play for the team. Despite Walker’s impressive NBA background, Brian Robb of MassLive was skeptical that he would be selected for the squad.
It’s probably not as high as many believe, and the Celtics’ predicament has a big role in that. Walker would cost the organization millions more in tax penalties even on a veteran’s minimum deal, so there are financial incentives not to have him on the roster, Robb wrote in an August 30 report. Walker had slim chances of making the squad, but Robb explained how he could.
“Walker might earn a place straight away if he impresses Joe Mazzulla during training camp as a reliable bench option on nights when the club is thin on players (Horford, Porzingis, etc.). But in my perspective, it would take quite the performance to do that. His chances of making the squad, in my opinion, are about 30%.
A similar story was covered by Shams Charania of The Athletic on August 29. “I’ve been informed that Walker could be waived following training camp in order to preserve Boston’s 15th roster spot for the upcoming campaign.” Lonnie Walker Messages Boston Following His Arrival Walker said on his own Instagram that he was prepared for what was ahead of him as soon as he got to Boston. With the comment, “This chapter is gonna be one hell of a story,” Walker shared a narrative on social media about being picked up at the airport.
Celtics then aggregated the post on CLNS’ X account. Walker is aware that he has a long way to go before he can play for the Boston Celtics. He might be able to perform well enough to earn a berth on the roster. Walker might be moved to a different team to make place for another Celtic, such as Jordan Walsh or Jaden Springer.
FOR MORE RECENT NEWS, CLICK HERE
Be the first to comment