Drafted deep in the second round in 2022, Jabari Walker has just completed a rather convincing second NBA season. Proof of this is his 72 appearances in the doldrums of the Blazers, including 23 starts, with an interesting production of 9 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes, with 46% shooting success including 29% at 3-points.
“This year I think I managed to find how I play best”he explains in The Oregonian. “I understood how I felt when I was playing at my best. I simply entered my identity. My first year, I was learning. »
Ending the season with a bang, with a series of four “double-doubles” in five games in April, averaging 12 points and almost 16 rebounds, Jabari Walker clearly showed that he could do damage in the rackets. In the (local) tradition of Brian Grant, a big rebound fighter before him…
“I’m a guy who’s going to get rebounds, who’s going to defend hard. A blue collar worker. I'm now known for it. So I always have to make sure that I'm going to bring sufficient energy every time. »
Second best rebounder on the team behind Deandre Ayton (11), Jabari Walker still has one year remaining on his rookie contract (even if it is not yet guaranteed), before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2025.
“It’s going to change my life”
“Jabari had a very good season, highlighted by several performances, in my opinion, of a very high level at the end of the season”commented the GM, Joe Cronin. “In particular, on rebounds. But overall, we really appreciate its aggressiveness and its impact. »
An opportunistic attacker, generally served at the end of the chain, Jabari Walker nevertheless has a major, and clearly identified, area of progress in terms of shooting. Because he still has work to do in the field. Because, beyond the area close to the circle, it has an abysmal drop in address: from 61% at 1m50 from the circle to 22% between 2 and 4m.
His work for the coming summer is all mapped out: shooting! From finishes near the circle to short mid-distance shots, through playing with his back to the basket or floaters coming off screens, Jabari Walker will have to strengthen the offensive range to take a new step: “I think it’s going to open up a lot of options for me.” It will change my life as a player. »
Son of the former hard-working interior player, who worked at Spurs in particular, Samaki Walker, the young 21-year-old Blazer in any case meets the expectations of his employers and his coaching staff. Collective results are still awaited in Oregon, but the young Blazers squad is learning their lessons behind the scenes. For a better tomorrow…
“He attacked all his objectives head-on”concludes Chauncey Billups. “He put everything in place for his body, in his understanding of the game, and his game. And his defense! He has made progress on all fronts. He proved to us all that he was a real player! »
| Jabari Walker | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | POR | 56 | 11 | 41.9 | 28.6 | 75.6 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 3.9 |
| 2023-24 | POR | 72 | 24 | 46.0 | 29.5 | 75.4 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 8.9 |
| Total | 128 | 18 | 44.8 | 29.2 | 75.5 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 6.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
