For players who have a cemented spot in a team's rotation, the final preseason game doesn't provide much of an opportunity. However, for fringe rotation pieces looking to show that they can contribute in a meaningful way, like Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker, it can be very important.
Walker has had an impressive preseason for Philadelphia thus far, and he'll look to end it on a high note when the Sixers host the Celtics for the preseason finale on Friday night.
Jabari Walker taking advantage of increased opportunity this preseason
Philadelphia's frontcourt has been decimated by injury issues this preseason. Big men Dominick Barlow (back), Adem Bona (left foot strain) and Tacko Fall (hip strain) haven't played in the preseason at all, while Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending right Achilles injury in the preseason opener. These absences have provided increased on-court opportunity for Walker, which he has taken advantage of.
In his three preseason performances so far, Walker is averaging 11 points, eight rebounds and an assist in 20.5 minutes per performance, while also shooting 48 percent from the field and an impressive 38 percent from beyond the arc. In the process, he's shown that he could potentially provide some floor-spacing from the frontcourt that the Sixers will be looking for with so many creators on the roster.
Walker knew that becoming a more consistent shooter from long range could help him see the court more, so it's something he's been working on dating back to last season. Part of the process was just becoming more confident mentally in his abilities.
"I feel like just wanting to shoot it, and feeling like you can make it on the court is the biggest thing," Walker said of his shot last March. "I feel like, when it goes up, I have a chance to make it so it makes me want to shoot it more."
Walker could carve out niche role with 76ers
Thanks to his improved ability to space the floor, combined with Philadelphia's need for frontcourt depth, Walker could potentially carve out a niche for himself as a small-ball center for Philly during the regular season, similar to the role he's played for the team throughout preseason play. Bona and Barlow will both be back in the rotation eventually, but neither of those guys have the ability to space the floor that Walker does, which could make Walker uniquely valuable for the Sixers.
Walker's contract for the '26-27 season doesn't become fully guaranteed until January, which means that he could potentially be a candidate to be waived if the Sixers want to open up some additional cap space and an additional roster spot. But, if he can turn in another solid performance in the preseason finale and parlay that into a strong start to the regular season, it could help solidify Walker as an important part of the rotation for Philadelphia.
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