Jazz Broadcaster Forecasts the 'High Floor' Jarace Walker at Pick 9
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Utah Jazz fans continue to get a heavy dose of hypotheticals at pick No. 9, with the 2023 NBA draft just around the corner. Draft Day is now just three weeks away, so Jazz broadcast assistant Leif Thulin joined ESPN 700's The Bill Riley Show to share his thoughts on why Houston’s Jarace Walker would be the best fit for Utah, should he be available at No. 9.
“I think you have untapped upside as a ball and hand player — a very high floor as a tremendous defender,” Thulin told Riley. “You keep the size that the Jazz seem to be prioritizing with their enormous frontcourt. Then you have untapped passing skills he was able to demonstrate on a loaded Houston team.”
Walker has the measurements that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has been searching for as Utah continues to get bigger and longer at the wings. The future lottery pick stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. This would make Utah one of the longest teams in the league, with three starters boasting a 7-foot wingspan.
Also, Walker should be NBA-ready on the defensive side of the ball in Year 1. With his elite size and athleticism, he can defend bigs on the post while also switching against quicker wings.
Coming from a college program that’s consistently in the top five in defense should make the NBA a much easier transition. Walker commented on his defensive prowess at the NBA Combine last week.
"It's kind of just come with effort," Walker said. "Effort, talking, being able to move my feet. At my size, I think that's kind of impressive. Defense was always something I focused on, but the versatility just came. Switches by accident. I'm staying in front of guards. Just things like that. Until people started realizing I could do it at a high level."
On the offensive side, Walker averaged 11.2 ppg on 46.5% from the floor. His accuracy from long distance needs some work, as he hit on 34.6% of his three-pointers last year. Being able to play the three or the four would also give Jazz coach Will Hardy some flexibility in regard to where All-Star Lauri Markkanen plays.
Pairing a combo forward like Walker up with Markkanen might be the right selection, but the Jazz may have to trade up, with most mocks having the blue-chipper going in the 5-8 range.
So what would it take to move up? Most likely, an exchange would require sacrificing something that could help a franchise in the present. If Utah wants to move up, even just a couple of spots, it’s probably going to require Utah’s No. 16 pick to be part of the equation.
Closure on the matter is coming soon, with the NBA draft slated for June 22.
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