Indiana Pacers rookie Jarace Walker named to G League 2023 All-Showcase Team
Indiana Pacers rookie forward Jarace Walker was named to the NBA G League's 2023 All-Showcase team for his performances at the G League Winter Showcase.
Walker, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Pacers, has played for the Indiana Mad Ants at times this season. He has six appearances for the G League club in total, and three of them came last week during the Showcase Cup knockout rounds.
The Mad Ants reached the title game but fell to the Westchester Knicks. They finished just short of a championship, an unfortunate ending after winning 14-straight games. Walker played well during the elimination games, which took place in Orlando, Florida, and was named to the All-Showcase team. Brandon Goodwin of Westchester was named MVP.
During his three games in the Winter Showcase playoffs, Walker averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 41.8% from the field and 36.4% from long range for the Mad Ants in the trio of appearances.
"Jarace is doing great," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Walker's play in the G League. "He's doing really good stuff, and the minutes that he's earned for us he's earned."
Carlisle added that last note to emphasize that Walker had been playing well in recent NBA opportunities. The rookie forward played for over 24 minutes in a loss last week, and it was his best game of the season. Walker hasn't played much with the Pacers, but that outing was his first major sign of development.
The 20-year old is averaging 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the NBA so far. He has 84 total minutes of action for the Pacers to date, a number that could grow quickly if he continues to earn opportunities, as Carlisle said.
Walker was back with the Pacers for their game on Saturday but had played on both Thursday and Friday with the Mad Ants. He didn't hit the hardwood over the weekend but perhaps could for Indiana's next game, which is on Monday in Houston, after his strong performances in the G League this past week.
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