Why Lonnie Walker Getting Cut isn't the End of the World

Walker's DNP-CD during their preseason finale may have been a sign of what's to come.

Lonnie Walker / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It took a minute, but Lonnie Walker has left a strong impression during his brief time with the Celtics. So much so that there has been a considerable uproar from the fanbase to convert his training camp deal to a full-time deal.

While Walker has made a case, no one knows what the Celtics plan to do with him. Keeping him will cost a lot in luxury taxes they don't make any other moves on top of that, so converting him isn't as easy as it may seem. The easiest route would probably be to waive Walker and sign him to their G-League squad in Maine.

However, even if that's not what happens, cutting Walker really isn't the end of the world, and that doesn't have anything to do with him as a player. In reality, the Celtics' bench will operate just fine without him. They proved as much during their preseason game against the Raptors.

It's quite notable that Walker did not play in the Celtics' preseason finale in Toronto. What's more is that the Celtics' bench proved that they don't need a guy like him to prove productive. Take what happened in the second quarter against the Raptors as a good example of this.

Boston started the quarter down 46-27 against Toronto. They rolled out a lineup of Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Jordan Walsh, Xavier Tillman, and Luke Kornet. To make a long story short, the Celtics tied the game at 46 apiece at the 7:50 mark of the quarter with that lineup.

Of course, the Celtics' 19-0 run was spearheaded by Tatum and the gravity he has as a player. However, even though it's primarily on him to guide the team on stretches like that, it's also on his teammates to do their part to get Boston back into the game, and that's precisely what they did.

So, while Tatum is unquestionably one of the league's best players, the Celtics' bench deserves props for having players who fit next to him. More importantly, putting an all-bench unit around Tatum has been a proven formula for some time now, and it appears that's not changing anytime soon.

By extension, it means that the Celtics don't really need Walker. He could further fortify them as a team, but they are already pretty fortified. They may very well keep him, but it won't be shocking if they don't.

This isn't all meant to disparage Walker in the slightest. But the reality is that he's a luxury for the Celtics, not a necessity. Cutting him won't change the fact that the Celtics are the reigning champions and the consensus favorites to win the title.

No one should be rooting against Walker, but no one should be devastated if he doesn't make the team.