Strengths:
As the son of Bill Walton, Luke Walton’s
key strengths primarily reside in his basketball IQ and his smarts on the court, which allow him to be quite effective in
the NBA style of game. This year, he has become a Most Improved Player Candidate with the vast improvements he has made in
his jumpshot, which has allowed him to capitalize on many of his other strengths.
Walton’s greatest asset in terms
of making an impact is his passing ability. Ever since he was in college, he has been lauded for his passing ability, but
now that he combines that with the threat of a good jumpshot, he is able to utilize and maximize his passing talents to the
fullest. He combines good ballhandling skills, especially good for the SF position, with a great vision of the court as well
as a general awareness of plays. He plays a paced game and has been praised by many Lakers alike for his high basketball IQ.
He is a pure Triangle fit for the Lakers’ offense, being able to pass from the post to cutters or from the perimeter
quite effectively, always being highly unselfish and using his smarts to sometimes even create fancy type passing plays (although
those were more evident during his first two years in the league). To his credit, Walton now knows how to get the right balance
between passing and shooting, because in the past his passing up of open shots would hamper the team’s offense. The
Lakers’ offense definitely ran more smoothly when Walton was on the court, and he is a big reason why they were able
to sustain and average over 100 points per game on the season.
Walton has always made good decisions on
the court on the offensive end, but he has vastly improved his jumpshot this year. Although he’s leveled off quite a
bit to a 40% shooting percentage from three point range (at the time of this report), he shot around 50% from three about
25-30 games into the season. He doesn’t have the quickest release, but the good Triangle spacing, as well as Kobe Bryant’s
kickout passes, often allows him to get open for spot-up shots, and he capitalizes the most of his opportunities. Walton takes
high percentage shots, never one to risk any ill-advised shot unless the situation calls for it, and as a result has shot
over 50% for much of the season. He also displays solid moves around the painted area, where he could back smaller players
down and use his basketball IQ and savvy to create his shot around the basket, perhaps with a spin move to get a layup. He
has also shown more effectiveness in driving to the basket in half-court sets this year, showing more aggressiveness and being
able to finish at times or get to the line. All of this has contributed to Walton’s increased scoring prowess, which
was once considered a liability for him. He has made vast improvements in this area.
Walton is a solid offensive rebounder who
can rebound pretty well on both ends of the court. At 6’8”, 232 lbs., he has a solid frame for the SF position
but also shows some versatility to cover the power forward position if necessary against certain matchups. He has clearly
gotten rid of the dreaded “tweener” label that plagued him in the past.
Walton was a fan favorite in L.A. especially
in his first couple of years in the league and still is, with chants of “Luuukkke” coming on due to his passing
ability, smarts and general intangibles.
Walton is not very foul prone at all, and
he can play semi-effective team defense at spurts. His basketball IQ definitely helps him at this area.
Walton played best this season with both
Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant on the court, when both players could cover up for his defensive deficiencies and when he could
capitalize on his strengths. His shooting and passing ability have been on display early on in the season, and he has made
himself into an invaluable role player and a great fit for the Triangle offense. With due time, and with a bigger role, he
could possibly have the ability to get triple doubles with his all-around play.
Weaknesses:
Walton has leveled off somewhat from the
hot start that he had early in the year, and his shooting efficiency has a taken a toll. When Lamar Odom came down with an
injury this season, Walton really started to struggle with his shot as the Lakers started to bog down the shot clock and go
away from the Triangle offense at times. Walton is a pure systems player for better or for worse, and without the benefit
of a great playmaker like Odom, Walton did not get as many open looks. Walton thrives best with open spot-up jumpshots, and
when his shots are contested it’s clear that his percentages suffer. Despite his ballhandling skills and craftiness,
Walton lacks the ability to gain great separation on his defender due to his lack of great first step and athleticism, and
it’s clear that he cannot shoot creatively or off the dribble in any fashion. He has made great strides in his offensive
game, but these weaknesses seem to be out of his control. In particular, Walton’s lack of great physical tools stands
out when he drives to the basket; sometimes, he gets his shot blocked in this fashion or by hustling around the rim. Walton’s
sample space of three pointers is not that impressive (he takes only 1.75 three pointers a game at the time of this report,
making less than 1 per game). He may disappear offensively at times, resorting to being unselfish (this especially plagued
him during his first two years of the season) and these traits seem to have been carried over, for better or for worse. When
the Lakers may have needed a second or third scorer behind Kobe, he may not always show up.
Walton has only scored in single digits the last five games before he got injured, all without Odom.
Walton displays great passing ability,
quite unique for someone in his position, but sometimes he turns the ball over trying to make something happen, although this
is not a great concern considering the fact that he sports a great assist per turnover ratio, currently 2.08/1 at the halfway
point of the season.
One of Walton’s biggest concerns
that may always be with him is his defense. He has made some strides in this area this year, staying with his man at a decent
rate and being able to anticipate for steals at times, but he simply lacks the height and strength against bigger matchups
and the quickness and athleticism against smaller matchups. He does not seem to match up well against most players and seems
to be a “tweener” on defense in that respect, seeming to be somewhat of a defensive liability, part of the reason
why the Lakers’ defense has been, for the most part, horrible much of the season. He cannot contain his man on drives
to the basket nor can he defend his man efficiently in the post.
Walton’s lack of athleticism, great
height, speed and ultimately, physical tools, seems to hinder him in some areas especially with regards to defense. He has
covered it up fairly well this season with the benefits of other players, with his own improvements and with his own basketball
IQ, but they still show up from time to time.
