No surprise....but official now. Sicem Ja'Kobe!

Thank you Baylor💚All Glory To God pic.twitter.com/wLGpAxXJ1W

— Ja’Kobe Walter (@JaKobeWalter1) April 15, 2024

Not a surprise. Wish him well. He is an exciting player!

After last week's wondering if CSD would leave us, hearing all these players transfer or go to the draft doesn't seem to hurt as bad. I'm still elated we have our coach!

Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter — a potential top-10 pick — tells @Stadium he is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft: “I think I’m the best shooter in the draft.”

On belief as an all-around scorer; modeling after Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard and much more: pic.twitter.com/oYlifKYMM2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2024

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

---

Ja'Kobe might be in a better spot, but his shooting is so wildly inconsistent and he's not going to get any less defensive pressure at the next level than he did when he was shooting sub 30% from 3 in conference play, where he was quite frankly being intentionally left open at times near the end of the season and still missing.

I hope he puts his shot together and is productive, but Ja;Kobe screams just as much volume shooter as George was/is.

Hope he does well at the next level, but man his shooting numbers to me means he's got to totally fix his shot before anyone has to have confidence he's playing the 2 in the NBA.

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

---

Ja'Kobe might be in a better spot, but his shooting is so wildly inconsistent and he's not going to get any less defensive pressure at the next level than he did when he was shooting sub 30% from 3 in conference play, where he was quite frankly being intentionally left open at times near the end of the season and still missing.

I hope he puts his shot together and is productive, but Ja;Kobe screams just as much volume shooter as George was/is.

Hope he does well at the next level, but man his shooting numbers to me means he's got to totally fix his shot before anyone has to have confidence he's playing the 2 in the NBA.

---

Ja'Kobe had a rough shooting year, especially once conference play started, but he has all the tools to be a really good catch-and-shoot guy. I suspect with more gym time and experience, he will be.

His shot is beautiful and his shot selection was good, for the most part. The ball just didn't go in enough for us this year. We'll see if that trend continues at the next level.

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

---

Ja'Kobe might be in a better spot, but his shooting is so wildly inconsistent and he's not going to get any less defensive pressure at the next level than he did when he was shooting sub 30% from 3 in conference play, where he was quite frankly being intentionally left open at times near the end of the season and still missing.

I hope he puts his shot together and is productive, but Ja;Kobe screams just as much volume shooter as George was/is.

Hope he does well at the next level, but man his shooting numbers to me means he's got to totally fix his shot before anyone has to have confidence he's playing the 2 in the NBA.

---

Ja'Kobe had a rough shooting year, especially once conference play started, but he has all the tools to be a really good catch-and-shoot guy. I suspect with more gym time and experience, he will be.

His shot is beautiful and his shot selection was good, for the most part. The ball just didn't go in enough for us this year. We'll see if that trend continues at the next level.

---

I agree, but the thing that continues to make me think it's not about his shot and about many other things is his shooting percentage consistently would look bad against power 5 teams and go back to great against mid-major teams. This says to me it's not just him having an off year, it's something about speed of the game, defensive pressure, or just mental, who knows.

Hope he figures it out, massive bummer he couldn't figure it out for us.

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

---

Ja'Kobe might be in a better spot, but his shooting is so wildly inconsistent and he's not going to get any less defensive pressure at the next level than he did when he was shooting sub 30% from 3 in conference play, where he was quite frankly being intentionally left open at times near the end of the season and still missing.

I hope he puts his shot together and is productive, but Ja;Kobe screams just as much volume shooter as George was/is.

Hope he does well at the next level, but man his shooting numbers to me means he's got to totally fix his shot before anyone has to have confidence he's playing the 2 in the NBA.

---

Ja'Kobe had a rough shooting year, especially once conference play started, but he has all the tools to be a really good catch-and-shoot guy. I suspect with more gym time and experience, he will be.

His shot is beautiful and his shot selection was good, for the most part. The ball just didn't go in enough for us this year. We'll see if that trend continues at the next level.

---

I agree, but the thing that continues to make me think it's not about his shot and about many other things is his shooting percentage consistently would look bad against power 5 teams and go back to great against mid-major teams. This says to me it's not just him having an off year, it's something about speed of the game, defensive pressure, or just mental, who knows.

Hope he figures it out, massive bummer he couldn't figure it out for us.

---

He'll either figure it out or he'll wash out quickly. A catch-and-shoot guy who can't shoot and isn't an elite athlete won't last long in the NBA.

I'm rooting for him. He seems like a great kid.

The glaring red light with JaKobe was seen with him missing a significant amount of uncontested 3's. Almost shockingly bad at times in fact. He does some other things really well but given his statement that he thinks he is the best shooter is almost laughable after looking at how bad he was from the start of conference on statistically. Maybe he will regain a higher level of accuracy as he works with others in the NBA. Who knows.

He seems like a great teammate although does not come across as all as an alpha type guy.
Every year there is a guy who doesn't get drafted early and then slides in the draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was Walter this year.

Big12Fan2024 said:

---

The glaring red light with JaKobe was seen with him missing a significant amount of uncontested 3's. Almost shockingly bad at times in fact. He does some other things really well but given his statement that he thinks he is the best shooter is almost laughable after looking at how bad he was from the start of conference on statistically. Maybe he will regain a higher level of accuracy as he works with others in the NBA. Who knows.

He seems like a great teammate although does not come across as all as an alpha type guy.
Every year there is a guy who doesn't get drafted early and then slides in the draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was Walter this year.

---

^This

Curious how far his high school rep will take him, b/c he's probably better off putting more of that tape out than his college tape.

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Agreed. Keyonte had a great rookie season and flashed huge future upside with his PG skills. And sky's the limit Key will keep getting better and better as he continues to mature physically and emotionally. Key's game is much more suited for the NBA than it was for college.

---

He had a really solid rookie season, but he's still super inconsistent with his jump shot. His game logs look a lot like they did at Baylor. One really nice shooting game followed by a 2 for 12 or 5 for 15.

His last five game scores pretty much tell the tale with him.

17.8
1.4
13.1
3.7
16.9

He's very talented but he's just a crazy inconsistent player.

I don't think Ja'Kobe will be asked to do as much offensively as George is, but I think he'll be more consistent in his role.

And I think there's a good chance Missi clears both when it's all said done in terms of NBA impact.

---

Ja'Kobe might be in a better spot, but his shooting is so wildly inconsistent and he's not going to get any less defensive pressure at the next level than he did when he was shooting sub 30% from 3 in conference play, where he was quite frankly being intentionally left open at times near the end of the season and still missing.

I hope he puts his shot together and is productive, but Ja;Kobe screams just as much volume shooter as George was/is.

Hope he does well at the next level, but man his shooting numbers to me means he's got to totally fix his shot before anyone has to have confidence he's playing the 2 in the NBA.

---

Ja'Kobe had a rough shooting year, especially once conference play started, but he has all the tools to be a really good catch-and-shoot guy. I suspect with more gym time and experience, he will be.

His shot is beautiful and his shot selection was good, for the most part. The ball just didn't go in enough for us this year. We'll see if that trend continues at the next level.

---

I agree, but the thing that continues to make me think it's not about his shot and about many other things is his shooting percentage consistently would look bad against power 5 teams and go back to great against mid-major teams. This says to me it's not just him having an off year, it's something about speed of the game, defensive pressure, or just mental, who knows.

Hope he figures it out, massive bummer he couldn't figure it out for us.

---

Its strange because his shot looked great against two of the most athletic/aggressive teams he faced (Auburn and Houston) but fell apart at other times. I agree there are some real concerns, but the FT % and the length give hope that once with a pro organization.. they can get it right.

Part of the reason getting drafted high is critical for some of these guys. They will give him a little more leash that they would not for an UFA or 2nd rounder.

Fully agreed on Key's horrific fg%. What sets Key apart though is his handle and elite court vision. When Utah improves around him he won't have to put up as many shots.

I love Walter but he is pretty much a spot up shooter at the next level, without elite athleticism. His skill set is pretty much a dime a dozen at the NBA level.

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Fully agreed on Key's horrific fg%. What sets Key apart though is his handle and elite court vision. When Utah improves around him he won't have to put up as many shots.

I love Walter but he is pretty much a spot up shooter at the next level, without elite athleticism. His skill set is pretty much a dime a dozen at the NBA level.

---

I just don't think it's Key's nature to moderate his shot selection. For that reason, I think low field goal rates are something fans of the teams he plays on are just going to have to accept with him.

He is a good playmaker. And his ability to play point guard gives him a niche that Ja'Kobe won't have. Ja'Kobe will have to shoot well to hold down a roster spot.

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Fully agreed on Key's horrific fg%. What sets Key apart though is his handle and elite court vision. When Utah improves around him he won't have to put up as many shots.

I love Walter but he is pretty much a spot up shooter at the next level, without elite athleticism. His skill set is pretty much a dime a dozen at the NBA level.

---

I just don't think it's Key's nature to moderate his shot selection. For that reason, I think low field goal rates are something fans of the teams he plays on are just going to have to accept with him.

He is a good playmaker. And his ability to play point guard gives him a niche that Ja'Kobe won't have. Ja'Kobe will have to shoot well to hold down a roster spot.

---

Big Agree, Key is a volume scorer, unless something radically changes with him he's not going to suddenly stop taking shots and become a distributor who picks his shots well.

Danny Ainge on Keyonte George's future role with the @utahjazz: "I'm still not sure he's a franchise point guard. I think he can play point guard but I think that he can play with another guard playing the point he can play off the ball."

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 16, 2024

Key will always be an offensive-minded PG, but I do think Key improved a lot down the stretch. For the month of February he shot a palatable 43% which isn't bad for a scoring guard at the NBA level. For March his fg% dipped to 39% but that is because Utah was tanking. They sat Markennen, Clarkson, Sexton, and others down the stretch. Key had to produce more offense and put up more attempts for himself with their main offensive players benched. Moving forward, assuming Utah doesn't go into tank mode again, he has a chance to be a much more efficient player. He is still only a 20 year old kid after all, so there's plenty of room for maturity and improvement.

He's shooting 20% from three point range

Smashmouth said:

---

He's shooting 20% from three point range

---

To be fair, he missed a big chunk of camp and the first 14 games of the season with a shoulder injury. He's starting but only playing 17 minutes per game for now. I've watched a couple of his games. He's playing hard and actually looks as though he is taking the defensive side more serious than the offensive side. But, to everyone's earlier point, his shots aren't consistently falling.

Missi on the other hand is blossoming in the NBA!!

He is the next LeBron

Raptors rookie and former Baylor Bear, Ja'Kobe Walter, receives standing ovation after fouling out of a game against the Rockets after exiting the game with:

28 min | 27 pts | 50% FG | 56% 3FG | 3 AST | 2 REB#Sicem pic.twitter.com/RB56ZsgLiq

— Trigg's Trigger (@BTheBaylorFan1) December 23, 2024

A NEW CAREER-HIGH FOR THE ROOK 🥹@JaKobeWalter1's got a team-high 24 points pic.twitter.com/wmhNTWX2MD

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 23, 2024