Indiana Pacers young forward Jarace Walker was one of five players named to the NBA 2K25 All-Summer League Second Team on Monday.
The team is designed to honor some of the best players during 2024 summer league play in Las Vegas. The First Team designates the top performers while the second team — which includes Walker — rewards the next-best five.
Walker is joined by Bub Carrington, Donovan Clingan, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Jalen Wilson on the squad. Despite being on the second team, Wilson — who plays for the Brooklyn Nets — took home summer league MVP honors.
Prior to summer league beginning, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle detailed the many things he hoped to see from Walker in the summer tune ups, with conditioning and physicality being on the top of the list. The second-year forward has the frame to be a bruising, and effective, defensive player.
The Houston product was selected eighth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft but didn’t play much during his rookie season. General manager Chad Buchanan talked about summer league being an important week for Walker in terms of his path to possible rotation minutes in the future. Walker was up for it with his production.
He finished the summer tune ups with averages of 18 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Turnovers (5.5 per night) were a problem, as were some defensive lapses, but Walker was productive and looked like a second-year lottery pick on the floor, which was important.
Walker was playing on the wing, which is something he was exploring for the first time. “I just want to continue to grow and develop my game. And I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to do it,” Walker said before the games began. “Being able to showcase what I can do with players who are hungry, coming into the league, ready to hoops, ready to get after it. So it’s definitely a fun experience. My mindset is just continue to grow, develop, get better.”
He wanted more from himself after his first outing, in which he had 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists. But he had a bunch of turnovers and fouls that he hoped to clean up. “Definitely had a lot of turnovers. Definitely cut down on that. Feel like I’ve got to rebound better. Shot selection was decent,” Walker said of that performance. “Overall, just like a decent game. Next game will be better.”
By the end of summer league, his game looked more refined, and he had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in his final outing. Now, summer league is over, and Walker will look to keep getting better during the offseason.
The 2024 All-Summer League First Team is made up of GG Jackson II, Jordan Miller, Scotty Pippen Jr., Reed Sheppard, and Kel’el Ware.
Source link : https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-forward-jarace-walker-named-to-the-2024-all-summer-league-second-team
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 23:23:01
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