Jarace Walker: 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report
Jarace Walker: 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report
A physical specimen whose defense is built for the modern NBA, Walker's offense might be the make-or-break for his pro impact
With a thick frame and rugged strength unnatural for a freshman, Jarace Walker set the world on fire as a role player — something we rarely see in the one-and-done era. Jarace’s stat line is rather pedestrian: 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 46/35/66 shooting splits, and 1.8 assists per game. He scored over 20 points on only five occasions, and had two or fewer points on four.
So how did Walker turn himself into one of the hottest NBA prospects in the entire 2023 NBA draft class?
Dependability. Even if Walker wasn’t a great scorer or had an off night offensively, his defensive aptitude on and off the ball was consistent. Walker averaged 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks and anchored their defense as a helper. He was pristine in his rim coverages from the weak side. He guarded and switched onto other great players, preventing them from ever getting a clean look at the rim. He blitzed and hard hedged ball screens, jumped passing lanes, and turned the intensity up on every single possession.
From a statistical standpoint, Walker is the rare combination of rim protection and 3-point shooting that NBA teams covet. According to the Barttorvik database, the only other freshmen with a 6% block rate and 35 made 3-pointers: Chet Holmgren, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyler Lydon, and Jontay Porter.
Think of that list as the role player security blanket for Walker, a supremely helpful team defender who can space the floor. At 6’8”, Jarace is excellent with his positional versatility on the defensive end to guard top-tier wings while also being able to play as a small-ball 5.
With all that said, a full-season deep dive proved that the offensive ceiling for Walker is not all that high. While he boasts an improving jump shot, physical frame, and long arms, the pathway for how he would improve at anything other than spot-up shooting is somewhat questionable.
Walker already does and can continue to make a positive impact offensively. He is a sound, smart passer and a more developed floor-spacer than several 19-year-olds at his size. But expecting a lot more, or at least a role that’s built around volume, might be unwise.
Instead, Walker’s offensive portfolio strikes me as being a really good team piece and a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ type. He’s not a guy teams should be designing plays in order to get him a shot. Instead, he’s the type who can go out there and make positive plays happen most of the time within the flow of play.
Combine that with his defensive aptitude and it’s easy to see why Walker is getting a ton of lottery love. A little more offensive potency might be needed for him to fend off a few others in that same range in terms of position on draft night.