Jarace Walker seems to finally be figuring things out after a slow start to his Indiana Pacers career, and everybody is starting to notice. This includes star teammate Pascal Siakam, who spoke highly of the Houston alum after the Pacers' loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and made it clear that this is only the beginning.
"I think he's just been a lot better about just playing simple. He's a gifted passer. Sometimes you're going to have turnovers, but it's a learning curve. ... But also, shoot when you're open. ... Keep the game simple," Siakam said about Walker.
"But I just love the way he’s been playing. I can see it. He’s watching film, he’s getting better, and he’s serious about it. And I think that’s the most important thing, being serious about work and just knowing that every single day gotta matter. And I think that he’s doing that right now at a high level. ... But I think he’s playing well and I’m happy for him."
In the loss, Walker recorded 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 34 minutes. This was a very solid game from him, but it's just one part of the bigger picture.
For a while, especially earlier this season, it looked like Walker was more of a trade candidate than a long-term asset in Indiana. Through the first 30 games of the season (before Christmas), he averaged 9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 turnovers while shooting 33.5% from the field and 29.5% from deep. Additionally, he still looked lost on defense and just often looked like he didn't belong on an NBA court.
However, since then, it's been a completely different story. In his past 27 games, the Pennsylvania native has averaged 12.9 points, 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 turnovers while shooting 46.7% from the field and 44.2% from deep.
Walker also looks way more comfortable on both sides of the ball. He looks better and more physical on defense, and he looks far more decisive offensively.
There is still a lot of basketball left this season, but it looks like Walker is finally becoming what the Pacers were desperately hoping he would. And it's going to pay dividends for a long time.
Jarace Walker should be a long-term contributor for the Pacers
The jury is still out, but I'm personally of the idea that Walker's turnaround is real. It's easy to forget that he's only 22 years old. He's the youngest player on the roster not named Johnny Furphy, and in many ways, he should still be considered a young prospect.
Plus, it was always expected that he would go through some growing pains this season. He essentially rode the bench full-time in each of his first two seasons in the NBA, and he had a bit too much on his plate earlier this season with all the injuries to key players Indiana was dealing with. That was a big change, and it was only natural for him to struggle for a bit.
Fortunately for him, now that he's getting far more comfortable in his role and is seemingly slowing the game down, he's reminding everybody just how good he can be. And he should stick around for the long haul as the Pacers look to re-enter the title picture.