After some impressive performances as a EuroLeague debutant with Zalgiris, the shooting guard is aiming for even bigger things this season
Lonnie Walker 'a thousand times better' prepared for his second EuroLeague campaign
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"Even we don't know what we have in our hands," Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv head coach Oded Kattash said during media day on Thursday.
The coach was referring to the great potential there is on the roster, which features only six returning players. Among their new faces, eight are EuroLeague rookies, half of those are new to European basketball and two arrive directly from the NBA.
As far as that preparing them for the intensity of the EuroLeague, Kattash said: "The EuroLeague and NBA are almost different sports."
Indeed, history has shown that many American players have struggled in their debut EuroLeague campaigns. And then there is Lonnie Walker. Walker needed just two games to adjust after joining Zalgiris Kaunas early last season. Then he put together a run of six straight games in which he scored at least 18 points.
Walker went back to the NBA later in the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played alongside his new Maccabi teammates Jeff Dowtin and Oshae Brissett. And Walker seems to be a lot more confident and a lot more dangerous ahead of his second EuroLeague season.
Asked how much better prepared he is to play in the EuroLeague now with Maccabi than he was when he arrived in Kaunas, Walker responded "a thousand times better" to Euroleague.net's Frankie Sachs. While he also spoke about the defensive adjustments he had to make and the psychological adjustments to having a larger offensive role, the biggest change between Year 1 and Year 2 for Walker is something else entirely.
"I think the level of intent is a lot different. Everyone knew what my agenda would be going into Europe last year," Walker explained. "Really, I wanted to get back to the NBA, so I think my way of playing was a little bit different. It was more, 'let me showcase my skills' rather than 'let's get some wins as a team'. And I think that's a big difference maker.
"Going into this season, I'm here. I have a contract. Now, I want to win. I want to make Maccabi back to what they once were, and I take that very seriously. And I think just getting a taste of the EuroLeague last year. Oh, I'm starving. I'm excited."
Having made that adjustment last season, Walker is doing his best to prepare Dowtin, Brissett and the rest of his teammates for what comes next. He also credited the reigning EuroLeague MVP for Walker's own quick adjustments last season.
"It all really started because of Kendrick Nunn. He's one of the pioneers of this all as far as Americans feeling or seeing more comfortability coming over here. He's shown that it's possible," Walker said.
"When you have a player like that. It's kind of just a domino effect. I came next up in line. Now you have more and more players as far as Americans coming in now, so I just try to be my best as far as answering questions the best I can, and making them understand the difference between the NBA and the EuroLeague."
Walker and Nunn have known each other since before they were in the NBA and the two shared a locker room in as teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season.
"To this day, we still talk about things," Walker said of his relationship with Nunn. "He's a great human being. I'm very grateful to have someone like that in my corner."
Whether or not Walker follows Nunn’s MVP path, his hunger for EuroLeague success — and his leadership within Maccabi — suggest he’s ready to make a serious impact.