Jarace Walker's recent turnaround has been a revelation for the Indiana Pacers. But his turnovers are still a big problem, and for him to take that next step, he needs to figure this out.
In 59 games this season, Walker is averaging 1.8 turnovers per game. On its own, it's not that bad, but this includes one eight-turnover game, a six-turnover game, two five-turnover games, and four four-turnover games. Additionally, he averaged 3.2 turnovers across 10 games in February.
In theory, many of Walker's turnovers are fixable. Most of his turnovers are caused by bad passes and less-than-ideal decision-making. The Houston alum is a gifted passer, and he's becoming a good fit in Indiana's system because of his ability to move the ball. However, he still struggles with reading passing lanes, and he often just makes sloppy passes.
As he continues to develop, Walker should be able to iron these problems out. Even if his playmaking is going to take a step back next season with Tyrese Haliburton back, it is still an area he provides value in. And if he can fix this problem, he will become an even bigger asset to the team.
Jarace Walker has some work to do, but his turnaround is promising
Walker clearly isn't perfect, but he's proving on a nightly basis that he can be a legitimate contributor in Indiana.
After a slow start to the season, he has finally found his groove and is looking more and more comfortable in his role. Since Christmas, the Pennsylvania native has averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, (and 1.8 turnovers) while shooting 45.3% from the field and 41.7% from deep.
Walker has a lot of talent, and it's looking like he is finally figuring out how to use it at the NBA level. He is becoming a much more confident player on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he is putting the ball on the floor a lot more often and is doing a better job of finding his spot. And on the defensive side, he's finally using his physicality to his advantage and is making life tough on whoever he's guarding.
Probably Walker's biggest appeal is that he is someone who can do a bit of everything. He can shoot, score, rebound, defend, pass, and handle the ball. This has always been in his game, but he needed the time to figure out how to put it all on display.
Walker is mostly there, but he still needs to make some changes if he wants to turn it up another level. And it all starts with taking better care of the ball.