Is it too early to get excited about Walker Kessler?
We know that he’s an elite rebounder and rim protector. But so far, there’s something about him that just, well, feels like the type of thing that can really tip a franchise in the right direction.
He’s a personality guy.
“I look at him as a two-way talent, and I think the fit is exciting,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Tuesday when asked what excites him most about the center, before emphasizing his next sentence.
“The person is really exciting.”
In the three media availabilities Kessler has had with reporters since the Lakers acquired him on a four-year, $130 million deal — which included LA trading a slew of assets to Utah — Kessler has already made a big impression.
He has said multiple times he’d run through a wall for the Lakers.
What does that mean?
“It’s a great question,” Kessler said, flashing a smile. “For me, it’s just doing the little things and just competing my tail off every night and doing all the little stuff, whether that’s setting a hard screen, crashing the glass, sprinting the floor, just doing all the things it takes to win.”
It’s not lost on Kessler that the Lakers went all in on him.
They have zero tradable first-round draft picks through 2033 after trading two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz for him.
Kessler seems genuinely grateful they took that gamble. “When you have someone backing you and someone that shows you the belief that they have in you, it makes it a lot easier to want to make them proud and want to make them feel like you’re doing your absolute best for them,” he said.
Kessler has already excited everyone around him. Jake LaRavia said Kessler changes everything defensively when he’s on the court.
“It’s going to make us wings and guards feel a lot more comfortable being a little bit more aggressive defensively, maybe being able to pick up full court a little bit more,” LaRavia said.
Added Matisse Thybulle: ““[I] just feel like I can fully live up to my defensive potential because of having a rim protector like Walker.”
As for Kessler, he’s all in on the Lakers.
Redick recently said he believes the Lakers could be championship contenders this season. Kessler didn’t hesitate when asked if he agreed.
“I believe so,” he said. “No question. Yeah, undoubtedly.”
What does he think of the Lakers’ defense?” We’re going to be a nasty defensive team,” he said.
Even from the perimeter?
“I think people aren’t taking into account how good our perimeter defense is going to be with some of these guys,” he said.
Oh, yeah, who?”I mean, Thi [Adou Thiero], Ziaire [Williams], Quentin [Grimes], Bull [Thybulle], Van [Jarred Vanderbilt], Jake — I could go through the whole team.”
OK, what do you think about Redick’s coaching style?
“In film, I was ready to go fight somebody or something,” he said. “He’s such a good motivator. He’s incredible.”
And your chemistry with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves?”It’s not hard to be a fit when the guys are as good as they are,” he said.
Kessler is so positive. His excitement is palpable. It’s obvious he’s already making a contribution to the team, and we haven’t even seen him take the court yet wearing Purple-and-Gold.
Everyone wants to play with him. Everyone likes him. Everyone believes he can turn things around for the Lakers on defense.
Last season, the Lakers were 20th in defensive rating (115.5) and 27th in rebounds (41 per game). They averaged just 4.3 blocks per game.
That should change with Kessler down low.
In 2024-25, Kessler was second in the league in blocks (2.4), and he contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, which tied him for fifth most in the league, according to NBA.com.
Last season, we only got to see a glimpse of Kessler. He averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds in five games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Kessler, who essentially has only played three NBA seasons, believes he hasn’t even begun tapping into his potential.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “I think that Utah did a great job of letting me show kind of like my baseline, just play hard, play good defense, rebound, set good screens, be a lob threat. But no.”
So, what’s his ceiling?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t reached it yet. I’m just going to do the best I can and be the best I can become.”
It’s all very exciting for a Lakers team that had a porous defense last season led by an inconsistent center in Deandre Ayton. They now have a beast down low, as well as someone who should be a lob machine alongside Doncic on offense.
Kessler wants to be great. He’s willing to lay himself on the line for the Lakers. And it’s obvious that everyone is already responding to him.
There are still a lot of questions. How will he fit in alongside Doncic and Reaves on the court? Will he become the All Defense-type player the Lakers need him to be? Will he complete the Lakers’ Big 3?
But as of now, all signs point to yes. Not only is he a potential game-changer on the court but he’s also the type of guy who excites the team behind the scenes.
As much as the Lakers want this to work, he wants it every bit as much.
“I don’t really feel pressure,” he said. “I just feel grateful. Grateful for this opportunity and grateful to play for this franchise.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
