Jabari Walker discusses auditioning for Sixers over the final stretch
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers have 20 games left in the 2025-26 regular season as they look to hang on to the No. 6 seed which represents the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic are nipping at their heels for that final spot.
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The Sixers are looking to pick up wins, but coach Nick Nurse is also looking to figure out the rotation as well. Obviously, everything is out of whack a bit at the moment with Paul George sidelined with his suspension and Joel Embiid dealing with his right oblique strain. Throw in Kelly Oubre Jr. and VJ Edgecombe sidelined as well at the moment and it's a lot to figure out.
With that being said, big man Jabari Walker has stepped in and produced. He scored 20 points in Tuesday's blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs--albeit in garbage time--but then had 22 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's win over the Utah Jazz. One will argue that it is just the Jazz and it isn't this impressive performance, but Walker knows that things will change once the stars return and he is looking to show what he can do.
"If my minutes have to go down, I'll take it," Walker said after the win. "I signed up for it. That's the role I knew I was getting into. We have great players. We got Hall of Famers that have to come back. So somebody has to take those minutes, and these are guys that get paid to do so."
With that being said, Walker has been out of the rotation as of late even with players missing time. His big outing against the Spurs gave Nurse some confidence that he can be a big help against the Jazz. He can audition to earn minutes now while also being a factor down the line.
"My job is to fill in and do exactly what I'm doing while they're out, and if I could help the team along with those guys, which I have before, when everybody was healthy, then I'll get those minutes," Walker added. "Not just auditioning, just for that directly, but just auditioning for the now. We'll worry about that later, but today, we got the win, and I was helpful in this moment. So I’m where my feet are at
That mindset has allowed Walker to be successful during his time in the NBA. He seems like a mild-mannered player off the floor, but as soon as he gets on the court, things change and he becomes an emotional player. He lets out yells after big plays and is able to make his presence known both through his play and by being vocal.
"Since I got drafted, honestly, that's been my role, and even since I was a kid, I'm really not that quiet," Walker laughed. "I'm quiet around you guys (the media) more so. I keep it professional, but for the people who really know me, I'm actually kind of crazy. Yeah, I talk a lot and, yeah, something really wrong with me, but I get a chance to let it out on the court. I'm just glad I'm able to contain it during times like this, but there's something different about me that you see during those plays."
The Sixers will begin a quick 2-game road trip on Saturday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Jabari Walker discusses auditioning for Sixers over the final stretch