Jarace Walker showing important growth for Indiana Pacers
10 days ago, Indiana Pacers rookie Jarace Walker wrapped up his best weekend in the NBA to date. On back to back nights against the Wizards and Timberwolves, the 2023 lottery pick totalled 37.5 minutes of play. He scored 10 points on 4/7 shooting, pulled in four rebounds, dished out three assists, and came up with two steals. His defense showed signs of progress too.
"He's doing really good stuff. The minutes that he's earned for us, he's earned," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said earlier this week of the eighth selection in the most recent draft.
It was Walker's most productive weekend in the NBA so far, and it was his first time playing non-garbage time minutes in a while. With the Pacers a bit banged up and fatigued, he was needed. But he took advantage of his chances and did what Carlisle said — he earned more opportunities.
That's what Indiana hopes to see more of. They are a deep team that has depth at every position, so minutes have been hard to come by. Ben Sheppard, T.J. McConnell, Jordan Nwora, and Isaiah Jackson are out of the Pacers fully-healthy rotation — that's two recent first-round picks, a productive young player, and a terrific veteran. Walker is in that group too. It makes sense, even if it's tough to not have opportunities for a lottery pick.
"I feel like it just started with confidence and comfortability. I feel like the more I'm out there, the more comfortable I get. Over an extended period of time, I can definitely be able to feel a game out, just make easier reads, and just like I said, get more comfortable," Walker said recently of that productive weekend he had. "With time, I'll be able to just play better and better with the group, be more productive."
He earned some playing time last weekend, which was excellent for the blue and gold. And fortunately, the G League Winter Showcase was the week immediately following, so he could carry that success into more game action.
The Pacers have a plan put together for Walker's time in the G League. So far, he's played six games for the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers' affiliate team. Three of them came last week during the Winter Showcase, and the rookie forward was one of the best players at the event.
He averaged nearly 22 points per game and was great on the glass. His efficiency, which has been a focus in the pros, was impressive. By the end of the event in Orlando, Florida, Walker was named to the All-Showcase team. He played well and proved that he is still taking important steps forward as a pro.
"Jarace is doing great. He's doing great," Carlisle said during the Winter Showcase. He praised the work that Walker has been doing with assistant coaches Lloyd Pierce and Jenny Boucek as important for his development.
Because there haven't been many opportunities for Walker with the Pacers, they are more invested in his development with the Mad Ants. There are certain skills they ask the young forward to work on, and it helps that the G League club runs the same system as the NBA squad.
"Work on things offensively that fit our system. Three-point shooting is a big part of our system, spacing is a big part of our system," Carlisle noted of things that they want Walker to do. So far, he's at 38.5% from long range with the Mad Ants. His jumper looks better off the dribble than off the catch. "Defensively, he's a talented guy. We're asking him to be a little more disciplined than what his instincts tell him. But he's doing a lot of good things."
That second part has been a challenge for Walker. He's a high IQ player who reads the game quickly. But he often uses that IQ to anticipate what he thinks an opposing offense is going to do, and he gambles for a steal. At times, that makes him look like a defensive playmaker. It appeared that way last weekend in the NBA, and that happened often in summer league.
Other times, though, he gets beat off the bounce or is skated past easily as he's out of position. His strength can be a weakness. For such a strong player with decent foot speed, balancing his aggression on defense with making solid, more-often-correct plays is an area of growth.
"I feel like most of it is my instincts. I'm just gambling, going for steals, passing lanes, reaching," Walker said. "The game is really simple if you make it. So just trying to stay more solid on that defensive end."
The rookie forward wants to make sure he is playing the defensive system correctly, so he is often thinking about what he's supposed to be doing while he's on the hardwood. That will help him long term, but for now it leads to moments of processing. That's the natural cycle for rookies, and Walker is going though it as he learns to control his defensive instincts.
"Limit willy-nilly gambles. That's just a fair request. If he wants to break into our rotation, he's going to have to be a more disciplined defensive player," Carlisle said. "He really does some things that are very special with how he sees the game, how he anticipates. He's got very high basketball IQ. Offensively, you've seen the quick decisions he can make with the ball," he added.
Walker also called his defensive playmaking "gambling", so he knows that he will need to clean it up. But all in all, between a successful Winter Showcase run and a great two-game sequence in the NBA, the rookie forward is clearly making strides as a player.
His shot doesn't look as shaky. His passing looks great. On defense, he is making more individual stops. For a team that needs someone of his size to pop, Walker's acceleration is an important storyline to monitor for the Pacers.
"Playing more like myself, playing more freely, confidently, and just trying to make plays for the team offensively and defensively," Walker said. With the Mad Ants, winning was his main goal.
The young forward thinks he is reading the floor better and making quick decisions. Extra reps have helped him in that area. He's staying solid on defense and hitting more shots. Growth has taken place, and that's why he earned minutes.
There is still more improvement that needs to happen. He's got to stay solid on defense all the time and become more comfortable as a shooter. Relying on instincts only gets you so far in a fast-paced environment. As a high-IQ player with tons of experience at different positions, he will pick it all up.
But Walker is making the case that he should be playing a bit more often, especially with Indiana in a slump. He's still got work to do to be an every-night NBA player, but he's shown that he can help at times. His growth this month has been important for the Pacers, and Walker will continue to develop as the season progresses and opportunities keep coming.
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