Scouting Report

Bill Walker is a 22-year old shooting guard that looked like a very promising NBA talent before blowing out his knee in a pre-draft workout, which hampered his development as a pro prospect and had him bouncing around different NBA teams and D-League affiliates. Walker did lose some his elite athletic abilities that he won’t be able to get back due to that injury but he still has potential to be a good bench scorer in the NBA.

He’ll never be a top level point man, but he can score thanks a developed jumpshot and some explosion at the rim, though what he is able to do now isn’t comparable to what he was able to do at Kansas State. During his brief time in the pros last season with the Knicks, Bill was an extremely efficient scorer and looked to be a great fit for that offense in a back-up role. He started 13 games last season, averaging 12 points, three rebounds and an assist. Not bad numbers for someone that got traded during the middle of the season for Nate Robinson.

Walker also possesses potential to be a solid rebounder and maybe even a good passer. His rebounding numbers were strong in college, where he played forward despite having the size of an NBA two guard, and I think that could translate into the NBA. His passing skills have never stood out because of his score first mentality in college but during his brief time with the Knicks last season he made some great decisions with the basketball and even ran the point for some stretches. He doesn’t have a point guard’s mentality but he could be someone that can facilitate offense with a second unit by scoring and by finding the occasional open man.

When trying to evaluate Walker defensively, I had to take three things into account: a) he has never been in with a team long enough to learn their schemes inside and out, b) he didn’t have a lot of playing time, and c) he was playing defense with the rest of the New York Knicks around him. Needless to say, he wasn’t impressive but if he is going to be a back-up shooting guard for the Knicks, this will hardly make a difference when it comes to being a solid contributor. However, during his time with Boston two seasons ago, Walker had a nice defensive rating and didn’t look too lost with that veteran defense behind him. With an experienced club, should he move cities any time soon, he shouldn’t be a liability.

Player Grade

Offense: 3 out of 10 – Walker was a scorer in college and during his brief time in the NBA he’s shown some of the same abilities despite an injury that cost him some versatility. He has a reliable jump shot and should fit in well as a scorer and maybe even a facilitator with the Knicks’ second unit next season.

Defense: 2 out 10 – Bill isn’t a good defender nor is he the world’s worst. The difference, at least while he has a New York jersey on, shouldn’t make that much of a difference because of the style of play Mike D’Antoni has going with the Knicks.

Overall: 5 out of 20 – It would be interesting to see how Walker’s career would have played out had he not gotten hurt in his pre-draft workout. But instead of playing the what if game, Bill has left some reason to believe he can still contribute, albeit in a smaller role than he could have played, with the Knicks after having a solid showing with the team last season. Expect him to be a eight or nine point a game guy with New York next season and if he exceeds that, other teams around the league will be on the phone with his agent, perhaps before the trade deadline if he really impresses.