There is simply no hiding from the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers' trade deadline antics decimated any momentum the franchise had gathered in recent weeks. However, the decision to convert Jabari Walker's two-way deal to a standard contract has proven to be a masterstroke by the front office. The physical forward's positive contribution from the bench has finally provided a solution to the secondary unit's scoring struggles.
Much like his impressive teammate, Dominick Barlow, Walker was originally signed on a two-way contract by the Sixers to bolster a roster that had little salary cap flexibility. The former Portland Trailblazer did enough to convince head coach Nick Nurse that he was deserving of a permanent deal with the team.
Despite being acquired to act primarily as a rotational piece, Walker's previous two performances have shown that, with a substantial amount of time on the court, he could solve a problem that has hindered the 76ers' ability to plug the bleeding while their star players are being rested.
Jabari Walker provides a scoring punch from the bench
For a large percentage of the season, Philadelphia has heavily relied on Quentin Grimes' scoring from the bench in minutes that the star duo, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, are taking a much-needed rest. When this plan does not come to fruition, the 76ers crumble, allowing teams to gain a significant advantage and, often, fall to a frustrating defeat.
Philadelphia currently ranks 28th in the entire NBA for scoring from the bench (30.9 points per game). As the trade deadline has already passed, the Sixers are desperate for their secondary unit to step up and provide a spark to prevent future capitulations. Jabari Walker showed in both the defeat to the San Antonio Spurs and the victory over the Utah Jazz that he has the potential to be the difference-maker.
Even though he faced off with the league's most daunting defender in Victor Wembanyama, Walker continually attacked the Spurs' defense with aggressive intent. The game may have ended in a blowout 131-91 defeat, but Walker recorded 20 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes, while shooting 70% from the floor.
Every player can have a one-off game in which they cannot miss a bucket -- it is future consistency that highlights the talent levels of a player. Walker recorded a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double performance during the Sixers' 106-102 victory over the Jazz to prove that he is far from a one-hit wonder.
After trading away Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers are left with few viable options to correct the bench-scoring predicament that has restricted the franchise's ability to thrive during non-Embiid and Maxey minutes. Jabari Walker may have provided a positive solution to a seemingly impossible situation.