This season has been an up-and-down one for Jarace Walker. But it seems like he's finally turning things around, and the Indiana Pacers are rewarding him with more minutes, starts, and opportunities, indicating that they still have high hopes for him.
Walker has been fantastic since the start of January. In his first 14 games of the new year, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 48.7% from the field and 51.8% from deep in 22.3 minutes.
The thing is, though, it seems like the Pennsylvania native is only improving, which is exactly what the Pacers needed to see out of him.
Walker has started each of his last three games and had three of his best performances of the season. In those games, he averaged 18 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 58.1% from the field and 53.8% from deep in 27.7 minutes.
Beyond the numbers, Walker also passes the eye test. He looks way more confident and decisive when he has the ball in his hands. He doesn't panic under pressure as much as he did earlier in the season, and he's doing a better job of making smart decisions, whether it be by finding the open man, driving to the rim, or creating his own shot.
Additionally, the Houston alum looks way better on defense. He doesn't look nearly as lost as he has up to this point, and he's doing a better job of playing the ball and being much more assertive and energetic.
It remains to be seen if this is just a good stretch for Walker or if it's the new norm. As it stands, it looks like Indiana is willing to give him more of a chance to answer that question.
Jarace Walker is finally showing his value to the Pacers
The idea of Walker in Indiana was always great. He came into the league as a big-bodied, physical player who could play every position and be a brute on defense. Unfortunately for him, it took a while for his game to translate to the NBA level, and it led to him having an inconsistent role in his first two seasons (including averaging 10.3 minutes across just 33 games as a rookie).
However, it seems that the idea is becoming a reality, and he might end up being even better than many hoped for.
What's been very promising about Walker's recent emergence is how confident he is shooting the ball. He doesn't hesitate when he's open, and he's even doing a better job of putting the ball on the floor to find his own shot. Additionally, he has been way more consistent since the turn of the calendar, indicating that maybe he really has just found his groove.
The 22-year-old is sort of like a jack-of-all-trades. He might not be particularly elite at anything, but he can at least hold his own in every area. Walker has the size, the versatility, the physicality, the shooting, the ball-handling, the defense, the rebounding. All of it. They might not all be at their A-game on a nightly basis, but it's clear that the tools are there. Walker just needs to sharpen them.
And right now, he is doing exactly that.