Sometimes, the most unique kind of player appears in the NBA draft. This year, the Houston Cougars have one of those in Jarace Walker. The Florida native averaged 16.7 Points, 8.2 Rebounds, and 4.0 Assists per game his senior year on 68/44/72 shooting splits at IMG Academy.
Walker, a power forward, measures 6’8”, 200 lbs with a +6” Wingspan and a reported 44” Vertical. In this profile, we’ll break down Walker’s game and give some projections on where he’ll land in the 2023 draft.
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The Good
Offense
- Finishing through contact
- Self-creation in mid-range
- Amazing Passing!
Defense
- Weak side help defense
- Fast anticipation and quick hands on the perimeter
The Bad
Offense
- The handle is a bit loose at times
- Refuses to shoot open 3s far too often and only averaged 1.4 attempts per game.
- Leans back on most of his jumpers
Defense
- Not much on a high school level
- Can sometimes get caught on screens
Projected Draft Range
My initial range for Walker is anywhere from 5-20. If the shooting improves it will be on the higher end and if it’s a real struggle at Houston it will be on the lower end. Either way, a true point forward who can switch like he can and truly guard 3-5 is always going to have rotational value.
Comparisons
While no comps are 1 to 1 Walker is even harder to pin down. I’ll just list off a few names he reminded me of while watching: Thicker Lamar Odom, what Royce White could have been without the off-court issues, Jarred Vanderbilt, Roy Tarpley, and Zion Williamson.
Ideal Fits
While he might slip out of the lotto I highly doubt it so I am listing these lotto-bound teams, Washington, Indiana, Charlotte, and Utah.
Jordan Ennis
Jordan Ennis lives in West Africa where he is a pastor at an international church, he also co-hosts the Assisted Development Podcast on the HoopSocial Podcasts feed. He can be found at Assisted Development Podcast on Facebook and @HoopSocialDraft on Twitter.