I hope Walker proves he can be a backup PF rather early. Anyone hoping he can start soon might be ahead of themselves, so I’ll just temper my expectations for him. But if he shows the same kind of energy that Little and GPII do, he’ll be a valuable player right away. Dame/Ant/Nas/Grant/Nurk This is what I imagine the most balanced starting lineup will be. Nas is going to be the best point of attack defender available in that spot, and he won’t need shots to be effective. Then I would sub in GPII for Ant, Hart for Nas, Walker for Grant around the 6 min mark. Dame/GPII/Hart/Walker/Nurk Then sub in Eubanks for Nurk whenever. Hoping we bring in another C eventually in the year. I don’t see Eubanks being that guy.
I'm not saying that he didn't have all 13 kids with one mother but during Samaki Walker's NBA career they didn't have IUDs.
Jabari's parents could have remarried partners that already had kids. They might not be blood siblings. I know some people that have lots of siblings, some full, half or non blood siblings, but if they grow together - does it matter?
The Locked on Blazers (YouTube) interview with Jabari Walker will be recorded Sunday morning before their game and be available sometime "in the noon hour" Sunday according to Mike Richman.
Never said it mattered. Derp! All I said was that everywhere I’ve read is that he has 2 siblings. Even his bio at University of Colorado mentions 2 siblings. There is literally nowhere on the internet that says anything about siblings other than his brother and sister.
Agreed, which is why I hope Chauncey makes sure Walker doesn’t rest on laurels by losing weight coming into training camp. Watford lost some weight after a subpar SL last year and came into camp in better shape. Walker looks like he might be slow but instinctively is a good defender. He should drop weight till he gets to a point where he feels like he’s moving faster by the time training camp starts, then start bulk up as the season progresses. Watford’s combine BF% was 10.1 last year compared to Walker’s 12.1 this year, so there is hope for him being a quicker defender. At a more ideal height/length and with a better shot than Watford, he could be a starter in year 3. By then, Grant will be under a few more years and can probably get us at least a 1st.
… As a role player, 6th man, JW may develop a high floor. He looks to have a strong foundation, bball IQ, physicality, motor … … Will he become a starter at PF? More likely than starting at SF as he doesn’t have the athleticism, hops, speed, etc. high level SFs have at his size. I wouldn’t bet against him becoming a starting PF within 3-4 years. His feel for the game is really good for such a young age. His ability to move to, and be in, the right place to make basketball plays. Motor without looking likes he’s frenetic … effort with achievement. It early … plenty of time … behind Jerami Grant … and while there’s no immediate pressure on the court, I really look forward to seeing what he is by Year 2.
Yeah it’s crazy he fell to us. Even though I have tempered expectations and don’t think he’ll be some kind of star. I think at the least he’ll be a solid rotational player and anything more than that is a cherry on top of the 57th pick.
I’m also excited to see where Walker is next season. The exciting thing is by the end of year 2 for Walker and year 3 for Watford, both guys could be the main cogs in our PF rotation—drafted #57 and undrafted. Trendon has probably showed the most leadership of any rookie we’ve had since Dame. That alone is a valuable asset in a backup. The end of year 3 is when we’ll have a good idea of whether or not his shot will come around. Because we’re clearly lacking bodies in the front court, the chances are high that both Walker and Watford will get minutes this year at backup SF/PF and PF/C. So the hope for me is that they both get some minutes this year when we are trying to compete and get the experience to start and backup the PF position. I’m not married to Grant as a long term option. Having him play well in a winning environment with some years under his extension will probably get us more than a 1st back. I’m confident that Walker can become a starter and Watford can become a pretty good 6th man one day though.