Lakers' Season 'Hinges on Walker Kessler,' NBA Scout Says Ahead of Debut with Luka Doncic
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Even though Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are the faces of the Los Angeles Lakers, the feeling among people around the NBA is the team's ceiling will depend on their biggest offseason acquisition.
One Western Conference scout told The Athletic's Dan Woike ahead of the Lakers' season-opening game against the Golden State Warriors that their season "hinges on Walker Kessler" being the player they anticipate:
"Their season hinges on Walker Kessler," the scout said. "One, he has to be healthy. And then two, he has to be good. … And because he hasn't played in a competitive NBA game, we don't know how he's going to handle that."
One area in which the Lakers will need Kessler to show his dominance is on defense because of how the roster is constructed, particularly with Dončić and Reaves being players opposing teams frequently target.
Speaking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin , Lakers head coach JJ Redick said he believes Kessler has the "potential" to be one of the best rim-protecting centers in the NBA.
"I think Walker has the potential to be one of the best rim [protection] guys, and when he's played, he's been that for the most part. ... So, it's more just being excited about this team, than comparing the two teams."
There is tremendous pressure on Kessler given how much the Lakers paid to get him in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. They sent two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, then signed Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
One reason the Lakers spent so much in both money and draft capital on Kessler was to appease Dončić.
According to McMenamin, Dončić gave the front office feedback on how he wanted them to fill out the roster and one of the items was an "A-list center" to play alongside.
When the Lakers arrived at training camp in September, Dončić specifically said he "really wanted" Kessler in Los Angeles.
It remains to be seen if Kessler is capable of being the A-list center that Dončić requested. The 25-year-old didn't get a chance to show much last season because he only played five games for the Jazz due to a torn labrum that required surgery.
Kessler hasn't played more than 64 games in a season since his rookie year in 2022-23. Some of that can be attributed to the Jazz not trying to win many games late in seasons after falling out of playoff contention, but now he is coming back from a major injury.
When Kessler does play, he puts up defensive numbers that rank among some of the best players in the NBA.
Since his rookie year, among players with at least 500 shots defended, he is third in opponent field-goal percentage (54.6) in the restricted area as the closest defender. Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama are the only players ahead of him in that category.
Kessler ranks second in blocks per game since the start of the 2022-23 season. His offense figures to get a boost playing with Dončić, who has had success throughout his career creating easy buckets for centers.
Daniel Gafford had the best stretch of his career after being acquired by the Dallas Mavericks midway through the 2023-24 season to help them reach the NBA Finals.
The Lakers are locked in with Dončić, Reaves and Kessler as their primary trio for the foreseeable future. They will make at least $120 million combined in each of the next two seasons.
If Kessler hits in the way the Lakers are banking on, they could vault into being part of the top-tier Western Conference teams with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.