Indiana's last preseason game is make-or-break for Jarace Walker's Pacers career

Heading into this year's preseason, many eyes were glued on Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker as he enters his second season in the NBA. During his rookie campaign, Walker was a bit of a disappointment, despite getting drafted eighth overall. On the year, he appeared in 33 games for the team, averaging 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Additionally, despite coming into the league with a ton of defensive upside, none of that has translated into the pros. He looks lost and struggles heavily as a defender. However, he looked solid in Summer League this year and received a stamp of approval from star teammate Pascal Siakam.

His performance during preseason was meant to solidify what his role with the team would be this season, if he would even have one at all. However, with just one preseason game left on the schedule, Walker's future in Indiana does not have much more clarity.

Jarace Walker has had mixed performances this preseason

Just looking at his preseason stats, the Pennsylvania alum is having a good run during the preseason. Through three games, Walker is leading the team, averaging 25.3 minutes. In that time, he is averaging 11.7 points on 60 FG% (including 54.5% from the three-point line), 4.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

On paper, there is not much to complain about with his statistical performance. However, it becomes a lot more concerning following a deep dive.

In Indiana's first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, Walker recorded eight points on 3-for-6 shooting in 20 minutes. He also recorded three rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block, and two turnovers.

While not necessarily a bad performance, the Houston alum did very little to move the needle in his direction. This is especially true given that he showed little signs of improvement on defense.

Walker's second game came against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he looked much better, however. In the win, he scored 12 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. Additionally, he recorded four rebounds and 1 assist.

The most encouraging aspect of his performance against Cleveland was that he looked much better on defense. He did not look as lost as he did against Atlanta. Instead, he looked much more comfortable and began using his physicality to his advantage, something that will remain crucial as he fights for a rotation spot.

Last night, however, was as interesting of a game as it gets for Walker. In a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Walker played 38 minutes. He was the only player from either team to play more than 30 minutes in the game. While he did lead the Pacers in scoring, his performance still left a lot of questions.

Walker scored 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 2-for-4 from the three-point line. However, he scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, when Memphis rolled out a lineup of players who are not likely to be regular contributors to the team this season. Additionally, Walker recorded six rebounds, four assists, one block, and three turnovers.

It is a bit concerning that Walker could not make his presence felt until the end of the game. And, once again, he did not look great on defense. However, on the flip side, it is promising that he at least looked effective during this time, showcasing that there still is legitimate talent there.

All in all, there is no telling what Walker's future looks like in Indiana. He looks promising at times, but it may not be enough given where he stands on the roster.

The Pacers have one preseaosn game remaining against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. For Walker to cement himself as an immediate contirbutor and potentially long-term part of the Pacers' future, it is essential that he showcases his talents and plays up to the team's standard ahead of the regular season.