Hidden Gems: Jabari Walker Carries Defensive Upside, Could Bode Well In Bricktown

The second round is full of steals.

In the NBA Draft, the spotlight typically projects upon the top prospects. With smokescreens, rumors, and trade buzz running rampant, most draft-day buzz fades upon Adam Silver’s last step to the podium. However, for front offices, they’ll be looking to make noise upon Mark Tatum’s arrival to commence the second round.

Last season, the NBA Draft churned major productivity in the second round with Herb Jones, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Ayo Dosunmu, among others, making an immediate impact with their prospective teams.

When assessing prospects this season, front offices will be chomping at the bit to find the next second-round success story. In searching for promising candidates, Colorado forward Jabari Walker will be a name to monitor.

As a Freshman, Walker added a trusty cog to Buffaloes’ system, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman honors while averaging 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds across 14.2 minutes. For Walker, his first year was a step in the right direction, but his stride to NBA radars proceeded this year. As a sophomore, Walker was front-and-center at Colorado logging 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds en route to netting All-Pac-12 honors.

At 19 years old, Walker enters this draft class on a similar wavelength to that of a one-and-done prospect. However, his experience and frame do not follow that rhetoric. With a 6-foot-9, 215-pound frame, he’s well-equipped for either forward position. Couple these attributes with a 7-foot wingspan, and you’ve got yourself an ideal candidate on the defensive end.

Offensively, Walker presents himself as a low-maintenance prospect. The forward will not wow you with freakish athleticism or a shifty handle, however, he’s the perfect support piece to play alongside ball-dominant guards. As the prevalence of high-ball screens continues to dominate playbooks, catch-and-shoot options will need to fill out the corners and wings. Across his collegiate career, Walker made his money’s worth as a shooter. Overall, he capped his tenure shooting 36-of-104 (39.9%) from distance, clocking a 34.6% output this season. His three-point numbers aren’t scotch free, however, as he did have patterns of having two poor outputs for each stellar game. The form may need a few tweaks, but the mold is there for him to add floor spacing at the next level.

To add to this off-ball-centric package, he does have a good gauge of potential crevices in the defense, leading to him getting to the bucket for interior opportunities. You’d think Walker weighed an extra 20 pounds based on his play in the paint as he looks to engage contact on drives often. This is a double-edged sword though as he rarely shows much verticality driving into contact.

What Walker generates his worth is on the defensive front. At his frame, he’s the ideal frame to pivot over to the next level, and with his key assets coming defensively – scouts should be salivating at what he may offer. In terms of lateral quickness, he doesn’t pop off the page, but he makes up for it with footwork and frame. Walker did a great job at the collegiate level defending players in one-on-one situations, utilizing his frame to cut off potential angles to the cup while not biting on pump fakes around the rim. Walker’s best trait may come in his versatility as he does a good job maneuvering around screens and rotating on defensive lapses. These traits make him a solid option at the three or four while showing shades of covering guards in stints. Walker lets you know he has a 7-foot wingspan as he’s able to cover large amounts of ground in no time, closing space on pull-up jumpers, catch-and-shoot shots, and three-pointers when he goes under a screen. He still struggles to contain some players in isolation, however, his defensive awareness both on-and-off ball exceeds his projected draft seed.

As of now, Walker has been written off as a first-round candidate, and in some cases, he’s not even slated to be drafted – notably being ranked 74th on ESPN’s Big Board. Based on his age, defensive tools, and the recent emergence of Herb Jones – it’s more likely front offices would reach, in relation to the consensus, on Walker than he is to slide in this year’s draft.

Walker is currently viewed to be an early-to-late second-round pick. With the Oklahoma City Thunder always in search of plug-and-play forwards, the stars are aligned for him to be in consideration at Picks No. 30 and 34. Would that be deemed a reach? It certainly may be spun that way. But, with a clear set of ball handlers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Tre Mann pulling the strings, it’d be right up Sam Presti’s alley to add a young glue guy. History sides with that philosophy as well, as his stretch of selecting Andre Roberson, Josh Huestis, and Alex Abrines for set roles at the two dominated his deck not too long ago.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.