Capricorn Walker gets a glowing review from Rick Carlyle
The Indiana Pacers out of the 2026 NBA All-Star break and promptly suffered a loss Thursday night to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
Despite a 112-105 loss to the Wizards, Indiana has some positive takeaways from the contest, including a performance by Jairus Walker. The former Houston Cougars wing forward was on fire for Indiana against Washington with 19 points and 13 rebounds. While he shot just 5-for-15 from the field, he was 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Walker added seven assists and two steals in 30 minutes of action.
After the game, Walker received praise from the Indiana head coach Rick Carlislewho considered player development “one of the wins of the season,” according to Scott Agnes of the Fieldhouse Files.
Considering the Pacers don’t have much to celebrate in the 2025-26 NBA season, watching Walker thrive on the court gives Carlisle and the team something to feel good about.
It’s also about time Walker translates his potential into raw numbers, as he’s already in his third season in the league. In his first two seasons in the NBA, Walker, selected eighth overall by Indiana in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, averaged just 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per contest. He entered the Wizards game with season averages of 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 54 games.
Still, there’s plenty of room for improvement for the 22-year-old Walker, including his shooting efficiency. He made just 40.4 percent of his attempts and made 49.3 percent of his effective field goals in the first half of the season.
2026-02-20 03:55:00
