Indiana Pacers front office breaks down rookie year of Jarace Walker: 'We're still big believers in Jarace '

Walker just finished his first NBA season

Mar 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) reacts during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Jarace Walker didn't play much in his first season with the Indiana Pacers. The rookie forward, who was selected eighth overall last year by the blue and gold after a draft-night trade, was far down in the rotation on a deep Pacers team.

He ended the campaign with just 33 games played, and 18 of them came with under 10 minutes of playing time. He did hit the hardwood 19 times with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League, but not as much with the NBA club.

That made it hard for some to get a proper evaluation of the 20-year old. But the team, who saw the Maryland native every day in practices and games, still feels great about their 2023 lottery pick. General manager Chad Buchanan shared some thoughts on Walker and the team's plan for his future during his exit interview at the end of the 2023-24 season.

"When we drafted Jarace, I think we saw potential for a two-way player. I think we saw potential for a guy that can make plays with the ball. Can really pass, had a high IQ," Buchanan said at his end-of-season exit interview last week. "We saw him as probably as a backup four maybe early in his career, whether that was his first year, second year, however long that took. As we got into the season, as he got experience playing the G League, as we watched him in practice, his three-point shooting really came along which was a great surprise for us. And we saw more potential of him playing some wing position minutes, which is valuable."

Walker went on to average 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in the NBA. His passing and three-point shooting were the standout abilities for the young forward in year one.

"The more positions a guy can play, the more valuable he becomes. He obviously didn't get a ton of opportunities. this year, which is obviously reflective of [health]. Things have to fall into place for a young player to get an opportunity, and that didn't happen very often for Jarace," Buchanan added "But that doesn't have anything to say about our belief in him long term. As we told him in his exit interview, 'Your growth and development is a big component of us taking another step', Whether that's immediately or a year or two down the road. But we're still big believers in Jarace and think there's a lot of things that he can do that this roster needs."

Walker finished the season averaging 22 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the G League. If the Pacers bring back largely the same team next year, it may be hard for him to find minutes again, but his positional versatility makes it a possibility given his potential.

"He had an amazing rookie year. Was a part of something really big," Walker's teammate in college, Jamal Shead, said last week. "I think he's going to grow, it was really cool to see him."

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