San Antonio Spurs: Lonnie Walker's Path to Win 6MOTY Award

The San Antonio Spurs Need to Win

As an individual, Walker doesn’t really have much of a say here beyond what he can do on the bench. Plain and simple: if Walker and the Spurs don’t at least make the sixth seed and avoid the play-in tournament then Walker will be seen as just another guy who can’t be a starter on a good team. Historically, that does not bode well for a player's 6MOTY chances.

In fact, only Lou Williams and Dell Curry have won the 6MOTY Award on teams that have failed to make the playoffs. Being a great player, let alone a benchwarmer, on a subpar team really doesn’t mean anything to anyone. The rest of the bench and the starters need to pull their weight to ensure team success, which often leads to individual accolades. 

Walker being picked as a nominee should come as no surprise to anyone who’s followed his career. It’s been abundantly clear the whole time that Dejounte Murray is the point guard of the future and Derrick White is an exceptional sidekick. With those two healthy, Walker, a former All-Rookie ACC player and 18th overall pick, can lead the bench. And he should be able to do it very well. 

He has a multitude of offensive weapons, endless explosiveness, and a defensive attitude. He should have the keys to the offense whenever he steps on the floor, and his consistent outside shot will give him crunch time minutes. He can create his own moments and plays well without the ball in his hands. The groundwork is laid down, now the Spurs need to propel themselves forward so Walker can finally take the next step in his career.