Jarace Walker has come back down to earth in recent games, but he is still proving to the Indiana Pacers that he is a valuable asset and will likely be one for a long time.
The Pennsylvania native had been on a tear since Christmas. In his following 31 games after the holiday, he averaged 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 46.6% from the field and 42.6% from deep. Walker looked way better on both sides of the ball than he did to begin the season, and he ultimately found himself back in Indiana's starting lineup.
It's a small sample size, but it Walker's latest stretch of games hasn't been as hot.
In his last three games, he has averaged 10.7 points, 7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.7 turnovers while shooting 44.4% from the field and 36.4% from deep. This includes an eight-point, 3-for-10 shooting performance on Tuesday with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell all sidelined.
Despite his less-than-stellar stats, Walker is still making an impact. He is still doing a fantastic job of moving the ball and playing defense. He is a jack of all trades, and even if one area of his game is slacking, he can provide value in other ways.
If it wasn't clear before, it should be clear now: Walker is a legitimate asset in Indiana and should be a big part of the team's future.
Jarace Walker has a bright future with the Pacers
Walker has progressively gotten better since getting drafted eighth overall in 2023, and he is still just 22 years old (he's the youngest player on the Pacers' roster not named Johnny Furphy).
The first two seasons of Walker's NBA career left a lot to be desired. He didn't see the court much, but even when he did, he mostly didn't look like he belonged. He constantly looked lost on both sides of the ball, was always a threat to turn the ball over, and his shot was wildly inconsistent.
But even so, the Pacers didn't give up on him, and that decision is paying dividends right now. And especially with Bennedict Mathurin no longer on the roster, he should only have more opportunities to prove his worth moving forward.
Walker can make an impact on the game in multiple ways. He can shoot, score, defend, rebound, handle the ball, and he can guard and play every single position. The Houston alum is a fantastic fit in Indiana, and it's incredibly encouraging to see him finally play at the level everybody knew he could.