Jarace Walker and the Indiana Pacers are now done with 2023 NBA Summer League, and we’ve learned some things. The former Houston freshman showed off many of the skills that made him the No. 8 pick in the NBA Draft. However, while his stat line was mostly good, he was inefficient on the offensive side of the ball, and that could be a problem when the regular season kicks off.

The Pacers’ biggest concern about Jarace Walker after 2023 NBA Summer League is offensive efficiency

The Houston Cougars had one of the best defenses in college basketball last season, and at least some of that was thanks to freshman Jarace Walker. The 6-foot-7, 249-pound wing locked down players across positions in college and has the frame and athleticism to do the same at the next level.

And the Jarace Walker Pacers NBA Summer League performance showed that he can do that.

Walker looked like a man amongst boys at times during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He was athletic and active and long. And his energy and basketball IQ allowed him to shut down his opposite man and wreak havoc as a team defender.

He also hit the boards hard, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game in Summer League during the four contests he played in. That added nicely to the 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals he made during the tournament.

The competition level in Vegas is nowhere near what it is going to be when the Pacers open their season this fall, but Walker has already passed the eye test defensively. He is that guy on the defensive side of the floor, and that will help Indiana a lot, as the Pacers had the second-worst defense in the league last season, allowing 119.5 points per game.

Defense alone doesn’t get a college prospect in the top 10 of the draft, though. The reason Walker was a top selection is that he does have some offensive potential as well. And if he can turn into a legit 3-and-D player in the NBA, he could be a key piece to a playoff or even a championship team.

In Vegas, Walker averaged 14.3 points a game, which on the face is encouraging. However, when you dig deeper into the numbers, it’s actually the Pacers’ biggest cause for concern.

As his franchise's top draft pick, Walker was the focal point on the organization’s Summer League team. Everything was set up to help develop the incoming rookie, and while he got his points during his 30.1 minutes per game, he was wildly inefficient in doing so.

Walker does have potential as a shooter. He shot a respectable 34.7% from 3-point range, 46.5% from the field, and 66.3% from the free throw line in college. At NBA Summer League — albeit in a small sample size — he didn’t even approach those numbers. Walker’s shooting percentages in Vegas were 34.3% from the field (on 70 attempts), 17.9% from 3-point range (on 28 attempts), and 44.4% from the line (on just nine attempts).

Now, Vegas is a place for young players to try things out and work on parts of their games that might not be as developed. So, if that was what Walker was doing, then this isn’t all that concerning.

However, NBA Summer League is also a place where college prospects show what their game might look like at the next level for the first time as well, and if that’s what was happening, it’s more concerning.

The Jarace Walker Pacers NBA Summer League showing did illustrate some of the predraft concerns about his offensive game. Walker is built like an NFL defensive end, yet instead of bullying his way to the basket, he too often settles for midrange jumpers. And when a dunk or a layup isn’t available, he needs to dish it off to one of his teammates. On this second note, he did do a better job in Vegas than he did in college. At Houston, he averaged just 1.8 assists per game, but in Summer League, he dropped 3.3 assists.

As for his shooting range, it will take some time and a lot of reps to extend his range to the NBA distance. So, it’s not awful that he got up a lot of threes during these offseason games.

In the end, Walker is who we all thought he could be defensively, and that is the No. 1 concern for the Pacers and Pacers fans. But the offensive development is worth keeping an eye on as the team starts its preseason in late September/early November. And if that ends up coming through, Walker could be the 3-and-D terror the team drafted him to be.