Jarace Walker can still blossom into a valuable role player, but he's probably never going to be a full-time starter for the Indiana Pacers.
It's unfortunate, but that's just the reality of it.
There were high expectations for the Houston alum heading into this season. He had inconsistent minutes in each of his first two seasons with the Pacers, but he showed flashes at times when he did see the court. This season was going to be the year he finally took on an increased role following Tyrese Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner's departure.
And, to be fair, that's exactly what it's been. However, once again, Walker is showing flashes at times while not showing much else.
Walker had a fantastic 21-point, 6-rebound performance on Nov. 24 against the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons. He also had a 0-for-10 shooting night against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 13 and a six-turnover game against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 9.
On paper, there is a lot to like about Walker. He's physical, he can shoot, he can defend multiple positions, and he can run the ball up the court. Unfortunately, he can't really do all of those at the same time. And it seems like he always leaves something to be desired.
Walker is the second-youngest player on the Pacers' roster at 22 years old. This is also his first real opportunity to showcase his value at the NBA level, and it's going to take some time for him to iron things out. Especially considering that he essentially rode the bench for two years.
It is way, way too early to definitively say that Walker can't become something. But can he live up to that pre-draft hype and become a star? Probably not. At least not in Indiana.
What is Jarace Walker's ceiling with the Pacers?
At this point, it's hard to imagine exactly how big a role the Pacers would feel comfortable giving Walker.
His confidence looks shot, and it looks like he is constantly second-guessing himself with his shot selection and decision-making. This leads to him making a ton of unnecessary mistakes, like essentially handing the ball over to the other team when he faces pressure (which happened a few times against Golden State)
Luckily, a lot of this is fixable. But it will have to take a lot of patience and just letting things play out for the rest of the season.
If there's one thing Walker has proven so far, it is that he can flourish as a do-it-all role player without too much on his plate. He can do just about everything (at least in theory), but when he's actually tasked with doing that at such high volume, it becomes too much for him to be effective. Just like it would for many players.
The thing is, there is still untapped potential with Walker. And the Pacers must absolutely see things through before making a definitive decision on his future. However, on a roster that has Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin, it is going to be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for him to carve out a major role in Indiana.
This doesn't mean Walker can't still become a valuable asset. But it's likely as a bench player and spot starter. Not as a top guy.