3 Players fans should watch in Pacers preseason game vs. Hawks

1. Jarace Walker

Perhaps the most intriguing new player on the Indiana Pacers roster is rookie Jarace Walker, who the team selected with the eighth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft over the summer.

The 6-foot-8 forward is set to battle for the starting power forward spot with fellow newcomer Obi Toppin, who the Pacers acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks this offseason.

Walker kicked off his preseason with a bang against the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping 19 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block, all while shooting 7-for-15 from the field and 4-for-9 from distance.

Unfortunately, Walker struggled in his second outing. In the next game against the Houston Rockets, Walker put up seven points, four rebounds, and two assists while shooting just 2-of-10 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep.

Obviously, Walker has plenty of time to figure things out at the NBA level and develop a consistency that most star players have, but it will be interesting to see how he plays against the Hawks.

Will Walker bounce back and prove that his first game was real? Or will he continue to struggle and go through the rookie bumps that he’ll inevitably face early on?