2/6/24

G, Baylor

6-5 height

195 pounds

9/4/2004 birth date

Games scouted:

Against UCF

Against Auburn

Against TCU

Against Seton Hall

Against Duke

Stats: https://fanspo.com/nba/s/nba_draft/p/pJL6hO2g_BdHyQ/jakobe-walter-stats-by-quad

Jakobe's main skill on offense is shooting. He projects as one of the best pure shooters in the draft. The form is nice and smooth with one fluid motion, and he consistently generate arc, power, and accuracy in almost any situation. Any time he's open, has his feet set, and has time and space, you might as well add 3 points to his stats sheet before he even attempts the shot. Jakobe is that kind of shooter. His shooting versatility makes me believe he can be more than just a spot up guy. Walter can come off of a variety of off ball screen actions and is super active in the flow of the offense, cutting and frequently setting screens for other guys. he has the fluidity and speed to effectively create separation running off of screens. Overall, Jakobe is an awesome shooter, and the shot percentages check out on that as well.

Jakobe's overall creation as a guard/wing type is the main concern for me in terms of his draft stock. Jakobe is a brilliant shooter, yes, and that will get him minutes probably right off the bat. The issue is that I don't believe his creation translates to an NBA level at this point and time. Jakobe currently averages more three pointers than two pointers, which is a major concern to me for his creation inside the arc. Jakobe is not good at any creation traits, which in my opinion include burst, strength, and handle. Jakobe is fast but not fast enough to consistently blow by NBA defenders in a non-advantageous situation. He's not terrible physically, but has some filling out to do with his frame. He can get into a few dribble moves, but he's when pressured and playing against length (plenty of that coming in the NBA), he's not particularly comfortable breaking down a defender off the dribble. These concerns aren't incredibly damaging for a prospect, but for ESPN's 4th ranked prospect, I'd expect more creation chops.

The good news is Walter is a heckuva foul drawer, earning 6 free throw attempts a game, something you don't see much from college prospects. That willingness to play through contact is encouraging. nd the free throw line efficiency is encouraging for his long term future. Overall, since Jakobe is so young and was getting buckets in high school, I think there's some potential for the creation to potentially get better. He's comfortable working out of stepbacks and attacking closeouts, and of course being a movement shooter, which will be his immediate role in the NBA. And he's a pretty decent passer. Despite not having a deep bag of reads, I expect him to be a good connector and one who can make reads out of off ball screen situations. I'm encouraged by what he's shown and though he has a lot to work on, the ceiling for Jakobe's offense looks pretty high.

His defense is a mixed bag for me. Baylor has a reputation for producing amazing defenders during the Scott Drew era (Davion Mitchell, Jeremy Sochan, Royce O'Neale, among others) though I don't think it will be a calling card for Walter. He's not super strong at this stage, which limits him to guarding 1s and 2s, and though he can slide his feet and is pretty quick, I don't see him having the lateral quickness, anticipation, and recovery time that is required to defend the NBA's elite guards. There are moments where he fits into the Baylor scheme and looks pretty good, but there are also moments where he gets blown by for one reason or another. I still believe he'll at lest be passable in the team sense, and he's not by any means a liability on defense.

To recap, in my eyes Jakobe projects as a really skilled shooter, an average creator from the 2 position, an average defender, and a connector for his teammates. That all around role has plenty of value in the NBA, and Jakobe is worth, at the very least, a first round pick. I can't say I buy all of the top 5 hype considering the limited creation, but he's a safe bet to find a role in the NBA.