Forward Jarace Walker highlights defense, versatility to Pacers at draft workout

"There’s so much talent in the league and somebody has to guard them," Jarace Walker said after his first pre-draft workout.

Jarace Walker shook the hand of Larry Bird (and every staff member) after his workout with the Pacers on June 7.

Some of the top prospects for the NBA Draft are just getting started with the handful of workouts their agents have planned for them. So for Jarace Walker, a 6-foot-8 forward out of the University of Houston, his visit with Indiana on Wednesday was just his first.

If expected to be taken in the top 10, players (and specifically, their agents) can be more selective in the number of workouts completed. Walker, who’s just 19, has two more on his schedule — with Detroit (No. 5 pick) and Utah (No. 9).

The Pacers have picks 7, 26, 29, 32 and 55 for the draft on June 22.

Walker is part of very busy week for the Pacers, who have workouts planned on each day. (Click here for the full list.) And on Wednesday, it was two individual workouts.

UCF’s Taylor Hendricks first, then Walker. Two high-level forwards from the American Athletic Conference.

(Click here to read more on what both players have to offer)

Walker’s speciality is defense and that’s important to the Pacers coming off a season in which they ranked 26th in the NBA and were 30th after the All-Star break — giving up 125.8 points per game.

So going against Jannero Pargo, a player development coach who still has game, the Pacers put Walker in specific situations like “switching on guards, getting good post position and trying to bury them in the paint and take advantage of the mismatch” Walker shared. He referenced big defenders like Oklahoma City’ Lu Dort and Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday who do a great job and he tries to emulate.

You could tell Walker just completed an intense workout because when media was allowed in at 3:12 p.m., Walker was sweating profusely and had his shirt off. Right away, it gave me vibes of Bennedict Mathurin, who often does the same thing and was on the workout circuit one year ago.

And soon, they could be teammates.

“I think my biggest asset is my defense, just my versatility there,” Walker said, stressing that he wants to show that he’s more than a good defender. “That’s what people focus on, but there’s so many other things on the floor that I can do.