PHILADELPHIA — With the Philadelphia 76ers currently missing Adem Bona due to a cervical spine sprain, they have had to turn to 5-year man Jabari Walker to fill in as the backup center. The big man out of Colorado has been terrific as he’s averaging 7.0 points and 7.0 rebounds over his previous four games.
Despite being listed at just 6-foot-7, Walker has been terrific in terms of attacking the glass and giving the Sixers some help in that area. The big man pulled down eight rebounds in Thursday’s win over the Toronto Raptors as he continues to make an impact for Philadelphia in a department that the group can struggle in a lot of times.
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“I think it’s just a skill I kind of had growing up,” Walker explained. “My dad (former NBA big man Samaki Walker), he was a good rebounder. One of the better–he was a small center actually, power forward, but he was known for his rebounding, his timing. And so I think it’s just a gift that he kind of transferred to me. And once I saw, I had that with my timing, I got good hands, and just good IQ with positioning, and I was like, ‘OK, cool, I can take this to the highest level’, and I think I’m getting better at it every game.”
Walker’s contributions are now coming to light as he is part of a winning organization. When the big man first entered the league, he was part of a rebuild with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was putting up solid numbers out on the West Coast, but not a lot of people noticed. He’s getting recognition now with the Sixers.
“When I first got to the league, I was part of a rebuild process,” Walker began. “Actually, me and Ant (Anfernee Simons) both, and I just felt like some of the little things I did, it doesn’t always go, you know, noticed when you’re losing and things like that. They nitpick at everything.”
Now with the Sixers, Walker is making his impact felt and he’s looking to make an impact right away. The big man has been terrific in a number of different ways and Philadelphia will continue to count on him to make big plays in the moments it needs him. That’s his motivation.
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“I told myself if I ever got to be a part of a winning organization, I would go out and compete to the best of my ability, and I would do that at the highest level,” Walker continued. “So, when I saw the team that we were forming and I knew I was going to be a part of this organization, it only made me work 10 times as hard. I don’t know if I was delusional, but I always felt like I was going to play and I was going to be a part.”
Walker has always been a hard worker. He’s always been somebody who understands what needs to be done in order to succeed and the Sixers have benefited from such a player who puts the team above himself. Every team needs a player like Jabari Walker.
“I read some things and they say it’s a surprise, but if you were around me this summer and saw the mindset I had, then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” Walker finished. “So, this is expected, and I just want to continue to get better.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Jabari Walker discusses impact being made for Sixers off the bench
