The 2024 NBA Draft decisions are coming in with the college basketball season over. The latest big name to head for the draft is Baylor star Ja'Kobe Walter, who announced his decision on Monday, via an interview with Shams Charania.
‘Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter — a potential top-10 pick — tells @Stadium he is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft: “I think I’m the best shooter in the draft.”'
Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter — a potential top-10 pick — tells @Stadium he is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft: “I think I’m the best shooter in the draft.”
On belief as an all-around scorer; modeling after Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard and much more: pic.twitter.com/oYlifKYMM2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2024
Walter went on in more detail about his decision, saying “All my life I've been working super hard and this has always been a goal of mine…I'm pretty proud of how I did this past season.”
Perhaps the most notable Walter said was this: “I think I’m the best shooter in the draft.”
It's quite the claim from Walter but he did perform well this season for the Bears. He led the team in scoring with 14.7 PPG and 4.5 rebounds as Baylor saw its season end in the Round of 32 to Clemson, who ended up in the Elite Eight before falling to Alabama.
Walter scored 19 points in the Round of 64 win over Colgate before a 20-point outing against Clemson in the loss. But, he went just 1-of-8 in the Big 12 Tournament loss to Iowa State in an uneven performance from Walter, so his inconsistency could be an issue.
However, Walter shot just 33 percent from three-point land and 38 percent from the field in his only season at Baylor, so labeling himself the “best shooter” is quite something.
Ja'Kobe Walter likes to watch Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant
When asked which players he acknowledges as his role models in the NBA, Ja'Kobe Walter dropped some big-time names in the interview with Shams Charania.
“I like KD…I've been watching a lot of Anthony Edwards. He's been dominating. Kawhi Leonard, his two-way play. He's real simple with his game but he just gets buckets…And Shai obviously. He's just real smooth…He makes it look easy.”
In a recent mock draft by Kyle Boone of CBS Sports, Walter landed at No. 12 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and here's Boone's analysis:
“Where Walter lands in this class could range between 5 and 15, but I can't imagine it's further than that. He's a high-level shot maker who was a touch inconsistent at times for Baylor as a freshman but has the background and pedigree to slot into the NBA as a reliable two-guard.”
Walter modeling his game after players such as Edwards, Durant, and Leonard is the perfect way to go as he tries to fit in as a two-way player at the next level. He adds that he has been working on adding weight, ball-handling, and shooting as he works to make his way up the NBA Draft boards before the night comes.
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