Why one Pacer's Summer League run is over, and another one is still playing

At the time of writing, the Indiana Pacers Summer League team has played three games and has at least one left. So far, the team has gotten one win after losing Game 1 after a blown 15-point lead and losing Game 2 after a poor start preceded a too-little-too-late comeback attempt in the second half.

However, this does not really matter as Summer League games are probably the only NBA games where losing is acceptable and turnovers and fouls are expected. As such, much stock should not be put into the result of the games, but rather the individual performances and who stands out.

For the Pacers, they have two major players who will be fighting for rotation minutes in the 2024-25 season. These two guys are the only ones on the Summer League roster who have a chance to make the Opening Night rotation barring injury, and a close eye has been kept on them as a result. These two guys are Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker.

These two men are in different situations despite having the same level of experience in the league. Well, kinda. Despite being the lower pick, Sheppard used his hustle and timely shooting to sneak his way into the Pacers' rotation in the second half of the season and playoffs, while Walker could not find a rotation spot for the life of him, and had to resort to mostly garage time minutes and whatever else he could find among injuries and other misfortunes to the team.

That being said, Walker entered Summer League with a lot more to prove than Sheppard, and so far, he has had mixed results. By far the biggest positive in Walker's three-game stretch has been his confidence as a shooter and scorer in general. He has not been shy to let it fly from deep and has also dabbled in playmaking and point guard skills, although this partially comes from Indiana not having a real lead guard in Summer League, and he has not done it without his fair share of turnovers.

However, while he has improved on the offensive end as a scorer and some as a facilitator, Walker still has a ways to go on the defensive end, which is pretty disheartening considering he was drafted mostly for his defense. Especially in the second game, Walker did not do a good job covering his man, navigating screens, or hustling down the break, often getting caught with his hands down and not willing to hustle enough.

When he isn't doing that, he's over-committing to steals and being far too aggressive, which also does not bode well. He has shown similar issues in the G League and in his limited playing time last season, but this is not what Indiana needs from him at all. Of course, offensive production is great and all, but the Pacers do not lack in that department, and they would much rather Walker help them more on the defensive end, where they really struggled last season.

As for Sheppard, he was not great in the first game of Summer League, but he picked it up enough in Game 2 to the point where he probably won't play for the rest of Summer League. Second and third-year players usually only play two games before hanging it up and getting ready for the season, especially if they were regular rotation players in the previous season, and Sheppard is not any different.

Sheppard's second game was enough to give him a case in the rotation next season, and he has nothing left to prove for the rest of Summer League. There is absolutely no issue with Sunday being his last game since he already proved enough in his rookie season, the playoffs, and the second game of Summer League. That first game was most likely a case of rust from not playing basketball for a while, which eventually wore off.

Jarace Walker, on the other hand, is a bigger work in progress. While it is true that Sheppard was a streaky shooter in the regular season, he picked it up during the playoffs, and his biggest calling card to get minutes is his defense and hustle. Walker is currently showing the opposite, and he should take the rest of Summer League to improve his hustle, motor, and defensive awareness.

After all, the Pacers do not need more offense as much as they need defensive help, and for someone with all the tools to be a fantastic defender, Walker has not shown much of it yet, which is why he needs more reps.