Second-Year 76er is Biggest Standout in Disappointing Preseason

On a 76ers team with four former All-Stars, Jabari Walker has stood out.

The 24-year-old has been a bright spot for Philadelphia, three preseason games in. Walker scored double figures in two contests, displaying a diverse skill set that could help the 76ers' already-depleted frontcourt. He won’t be Philadelphia’s main backup center come the regular season, but he is making a compelling case to be in the mix.

Walker has taken an unforeseen preseason role in stride, averaging 11 points on 48% shooting from the field and eight rebounds per game. He’s practically been the 76ers' main center. Joel Embiid has played once, Adem Bona (left foot sprain) and Tacko Fall (left hip strain) have yet to debut, and Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending right Achilles injury against the Knicks on October 5.

How Walker is succeeding

The 24-year-old has displayed the 3-point shooting and rebounding ability that encouraged Philadelphia to give him a two-way contract on July 5, 2025. Walker is shooting 38.5% from beyond on 4.8 attempts, thriving in pick-and-pops and catch-and-shoots. He ran a successful pick-and-pop with VJ Edgecombe during the 76ers’ 120-97 win against New York. This is a notable development since Nick Nurse may stagger Edgecombe in many second-unit lineups.

Walker can score within the arc as well. He developed synergy with Labaron Philon Jr. by doing so in Philadelphia’s 144-106 loss to the Celtics on October 10. Philon assisted on four of Walker’s 14 points. He found Walker diving to the rim in transition and spotted him cutting from the baseline, recognizing a weak spot in Boston’s zone defense. The star-studded 76ers need as many players who’re effective without the ball as they can get—Walker does that.

The best aspect of Walker’s finishing is the physicality he uses. Walker is comfortable playing through contact, which yielded him an and-one against the Celtics.

Walker has also created scoring chances for himself using the glass. The 24-year-old is posting a team-high 1.7 offensive rebounds per game, many of which he put into the basket. Philadelphia’s struggles on the boards are well-documented, ranking 17th league-wide in rebounds per game last year. Walker seeing more minutes could help the 76ers in this regard. 

Where Walker is limited

But, standing at 6-foot-7, there is only so much he can do against bigger frontcourts. Walker fouled out trying to keep Boston’s Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta, two 7-footers, off the glass; the Celtics out-rebounded Philadelphia 63-34, with 19 coming on the offensive glass. 

When Nurse plays Walker, he’s trading off size and rim protection for spacing and defensive versatility—and that’s okay. Walker doesn’t need to be the 76ers' premier backup center, nor should he be. But the 24-year-old is working his way into being a reliable option for Nurse as Philadelphia navigates its short-handed center depth.

It’ll be interesting to see how much opportunity Walker has in the 76ers’ preseason finale against Boston on Friday. Nurse told reporters on Monday afternoon that Bona partially participated in practice. Embiid’s availability has yet to be announced.

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