Gifted scorers at the guard positions are crucial to an NBA team.
Walter joins Baylor after a successful high school basketball career, helping McKinney High School to its first ever state championship game in his junior year. He followed that up with a 24-1 senior season at Link Academy, showing the versatile score to put him on the 2024 NBA draft boards. Walter was named a McDonald’s All American for his efforts.
Watching Walter, it’s easy to see how he can contribute to an NBA roster, but still has some things to work out to climb into the lottery on draft night.
Related: 2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Prospects Ranked 1-100
The Good
Offense
Talented three-level scorer – Walter has the gifts and technique to score at all three levels in the NBA. He has good length for the position, and is excellent at getting to his spot and rising up over the defensive player.
Ball handling – Can easily beat players off the dribble with a quick first step and creative ability on the ball. Gets to his spot with relative ease.
Sees the floor – Walter has the ability to see the floor and move the ball, though he’d operate better as the second guard next to a more traditional point guard.
Effortless range – Walter can shoot the ball, and his form is smooth. When he sets his feet and takes a good shot, good things usually happen.
Defense
On-ball defensive upside – Walter can really hound ball handlers on defense, using his quick feet and athleticism to cut off drives and force players into their secondary moves.
Pick pocket – Walter times the ball well and can get steals, as evidenced by his 2.5 steals per game in high school.
Rebounding – Good rebounder for his size, averaging over seven per game.
Highlights:
The Bad
Offense
Shot selection – Walter has the upside to be a great scorer and good distributor, but will have to continue to improve his decision making. Forces up some bad shots that hurt his efficiency.
– The little things are separating Walter from being a good prospect to a great prospect.
– Walter is a good athlete, but not necessarily a great athlete, and doesn’t have as much athletic upside as some of his counterparts.
Defense
– Walter has defensive upside, but the motor isn’t there every possession. If he brings it every possession, he’ll see a big bump in his draft stock. Depending the game you watch, Walter looks like he has all-defense potential or looks to be the weak link.
Projected Draft Range
Lottery pick to mid first round.
Comparisons
Malik Monk, Max Christie, Tyler Herro
Ideal NBA Fits
Scoring is at a premium in the NBA, but teams that could use an extra guard like San Antonio, Toronto and Brooklyn make a lot of sense as destinations.
Conclusion
Walter has the tools to be a dynamic scoring guard in this league. He’s quick on the ball, a solid athlete and can shoot and score anywhere on the court. Fine tuning his game and some inconsistent habits will make or break his career at the next level.
Kyle Grondin
Blogger who is a lover of all things basketball! Follow me on Twitter @bykylegrondin, where you can read my complaints about your favorite team.
