Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker just played a key role in their win over the Milwaukee Bucks, finishing with 18 points in 18 minutes while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Not too shabby for a two-way contract.
But also not all that surprising. Walker has had a productive start to the season in his new home of Philadelphia; it makes you wonder how the 76ers managed to land him on a two-way deal, as he’s clearly proven he’s worthy of a 15-man roster spot.
From the Portland Trail Blazers’ standpoint, it also raises the question of whether or not they should regret letting their up-and-coming forward walk in free agency.
Blazers would’ve been better off keeping Jabari Walker
Portland currently sits tenth in the Western Conference with a 9-14 record. Some of these losses have been out of their control due to an unfortunate combination of injuries and a demanding schedule. They’ve had arguably the shallowest roster in the league as of late, relying on two-way players of their own in Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko.
While some of this is simply bad luck, it also exposes a flaw in general manager Joe Cronin’s roster construction. Overall, it was a successful offseason for Portland, and they finally have a clearer path forward for their identity. However, the first quarter of the season has exposed the harsh reality that this roster isn’t built to sustain an 82-game grind.
Damian Lillard is out for the entirety of the season, while projects such as Rayan Rupert and rookie Yang Hansen are essentially unplayable in interim head coach Tiago Splitter’s eyes. That immediately dwindles down Portland’s 15-man roster to 12 before even accounting for injuries suffered throughout the season.
The most significant losses have been in the backcourt, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Blake Wesley all sidelined for extended periods. But the silver lining of that is Deni Avdija stepping up as a point forward and initiating more of the offense. Avdija’s versatility and underrated playmaking have allowed Splitter to play unconventional lineups, meaning Portland can rotate more of its healthy forwards. It’s that exact reason why Walker would be beneficial right about now.
The Blazers have already had six losses by five points or fewer, including two buzzer-beater threes by Desmond Bane and Nikola Vucevic. Given their lack of depth, it’s safe to assume some of those games would’ve tilted in Portland’s favor if they had just another reliable role player at their disposal like Walker. There’s little margin for error in the competitive Western Conference, and Walker’s absence could potentially be the difference-maker for Portland’s playoff aspirations.