Jarace Walker has his flaws. He is not a perfect player, and there are some who even believe the Indiana Pacers should trade him this offseason, even in the midst of his recent hot streak (he is averaging 13.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1 SPG on 46.4 FG% and 41.4 3FG% since Christmas).
To say the Pennsylvania native is putting up empty numbers given that the Pacers are a tanking team (and are the only squad to still be winless after the All-Star break) is somewhat fair. But at this point, he's been hot for a long enough span for fans to believe he can genuinely contribute for years to come.
It is way, way, way too early to give up on Walker, especially now. I'm not saying he should be untouchable, but he has been playing some solid basketball for a few months, and the best is yet to come.
Jarace Walker is still fantastic despite his flaws
Let's just get it all out of the way: Walker isn't great at making quick decisions, he sometimes forces unnecessary passes, he turns the ball over way too often, his one-on-one defense is still a little sketchy, and he often doesn't play with the energy and pace Indiana needs him to.
He is also just 22 years old (the second-youngest player on the roster not named Johnny Furphy), has shown glimpses of potential in just about every area of the game, and has constantly improved every year since getting drafted eighth overall in 2023.
It also can't be ignored that Walker is playing some of his best basketball without even having Tyrese Haliburton on the court. Haliburton makes everybody around him better, and that should be no different for Walker, who should have a big role on the team next season.
Additionally, it's not like his flaws aren't fixable. The biggest problem with the Houston alum is that he struggles greatly when he has too much on his plate. This is especially evident when he's tasked with being a primary ball-handler (he had five turnovers against the New York Knicks on Mar. 17 in the absence of Andrew Nembhard and with T.J. McConnell playing just 20 minutes).
However, the current role he's being tasked to assume isn't permanent. He's not going to be in Indiana's starting lineup regularly next season, and his weaknesses will not be exposed nearly as often in a reduced role.
Jarace Walker should only get better from here
Walker is still very young, and in many ways, he should be considered a young prospect. He can improve his ball-handling over time. He can become a better decision-maker over time. He can become a better defender over time.
He has already improved so much throughout the course of the season, and he still has his whole career ahead of him.
I'm not saying Walker is going to be a perennial All-Star, but it's clear that he has talent. He is already playing well, and better days are ahead for him. Though he might never live up to the pre-draft hype, Walker is proving that he is a talented basketball player with upside, and that should be enough to keep him in Indiana.