Jarace Walker played sparingly during his rookie season Pacemaker after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in last year's draft. However, on Wednesday he showed why he was selected in the lottery just a year ago by posting the highest score of his career on perfect shooting (7 of 7).
According to IndyStar's Dustin Dopirakthis performance could solidify Walker in the rotation, even if he's at the front Aaron Nesmith returns after injury.
“Jarace Walker tonight, that was certainly a great performance from him,“Head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He earned all the minutes. The shooting was great. He recovered and defended their best players. Had a big block at the end of a quarter, that was a real momentum play. There's nothing like the heat of the moment and great intensity to really learn what it's about and he really responded brilliantly.”
Wednesday's game marked the third consecutive time Walker reached double-digit minutes. His most important defensive tasks during this time included: Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram And Franz Wagner.
“I have the feeling [Wednesday] It wasn't my best night defensively, but I feel like I'm continuing to make progress.said Walker. “I watch a lot of film as I continue to develop on that side, but I continue to focus and work on improving defense, pick-and-roll defense and of course one-on-one. I feel like I'm continuing to grow on this side too.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Myles Turner continues to be a fixture in the locker room and a cornerstone of the franchise Pacemaker despite being involved in trade rumors several times throughout his ten-year NBA career. In one Exclusive interview with Grant Afseth from SportskeedaTurner spoke about his connection with his teammates and his value to the Pacers. “I fought through a lot, but it didn't break me,said Turner. “I want to stay ready and be a role model for the next generation.“
- The Cavaliers are off to their best start in franchise history, starting the year with a 9-0 record. Details via Chris Fedor from Cleveland.com. Cleveland plays great team-oriented basketball, too Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland And Evan Mobley All are playing at or near All-Star level at the start of the season. The Cavs rank first in the league in points and field goal percentage.
- Despite the Cavaliers' perfect record, Mitchell was not happy with the recent administration, Fedor writes. “We play against these teams that get tick-tock calls,” Mitchell said after Wednesday's win over the Pelicans. “Tonight I don't even know when the first foul was called in the second half.“Cleveland shot 13 free throws in this game, while New Orleans shot 28.
- The dollar still offer no timetable for returning as a striker Chris Middleton, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Head coach Doc Rivers said he didn't know whether he would classify Middleton as more of an everyday or week-to-week injury. Rivers said the former All-Star could participate in a live five-on-five practice on a game day if necessary, Owczarski writes, meaning a lack of practice time for the team as a whole shouldn't delay his return. “Everyone is different,Rivers said. “Khris has had a lot of injuries and surgeries, so it's just not as fast as we thought and there's nothing wrong with that.“
- Milwaukee added Andre Jackson Jr. into the starting rotation and the dollar In the end, a losing streak of six games ended. veteran dollar guard Damian Lillard was a compliment to the second-year winger's performance, according to Brew Hoop's Gabe Stoltz (Twitter link). “On every good team there is someone who can be described as a disruptive, energetic player who brings that to a team and I think that was evident with him out there.Lillard said.
