He has a long wingspan and good length to cover both forward spots. He looks like he could be too slow to cover elite 3s, but if Chauncey encourages him to lose weight coming into training camp, he might be able to start the season better able to guard the perimeter. My expectation for him in his prime would probably be a prime Ariza defensively but he’ll rebound at a higher rate than Ariza. That’s a high quality starter.
Years of being a Blazer fan has tempered my expectations. Luke Babbitt was supposed to be Chris Mullin. Armon Johnson was the next prime Kenny Anderson. Nolan Smith was Jason Kidd in the making once after a good game
I couldn’t remember who Jabari Walker’s body type reminded me of until today. He’s a little shorter and not as long … not quite the raw athlete, but this goes back to the early 90’s at UConn — Donyell Marshall. A really bouncy guy at 6’9, not a star, but he’d do well in today’s NBA. [This comparison could be due to faulty memories and the need to wear glasses.]
Jabari said post game that he should have gone before 57 and that he's gonna be proving people wrong. "I'm being slept on !"
I think the best thing I've heard him say was when he was talking about his dad telling him there's nothing wrong with being a role player. That always seems like one of the toughest things for young guys to learn. That not everyone is a star. Embracing that and putting his energy in to that will go a long way towards him having a long solid career.
Listened to his interview with Richaman and just came away so impressed at his maturity. Loved his story about being shocked on draft day while guys he was "killing" in workouts were getting drafted ahead of him. reminds me of draymond.
When asked if he thinks he'll play early in his career: "I think so." "I haven't been a guy that started but I've been somebody that has been in the game at the end during winning time. That's how it's been throughout my career. I didn't always start because there were bigger names ahead of me, but when it came down to crunch time, the coach was like, how are we going to take him out. He's rebounding, he's defending. So if I'm doing that then I don't see why I don't deserve to play."
Watford and Walker are both great role players who will have an impact this season, both of these guys are Billups type players, smart BB players who do whatever it takes to win
What’s funny is Billups hasn’t even coached him for a second yet. Wait until he gets his hands on him, I get the feeling Walker is REALLY gonna take to his coaching.