Unpacking the Brilliance of Jazz Rookie Walker Kessler
After his sophomore season of college, Walker Kessler was set to enter the 2022 NBA Draft with some uncertainty about what his range would be. He had all of the tools to be an impactful player, but in the modern NBA he wasn’t necessarily the type of center that generally fits best.
Nonetheless, he was taken No. 22 overall then was traded to the Utah Jazz in the Rudy Gobert deal. With a unique opportunity to play on a rebuilt young roster, Kessler has seized the opportunity.
It’s of course early in his career, but the 7-footer has arguably been a top five rookie in his class thus far. Kessler is first in total rebounds and field goal percentage as well as top ten in total points among all rookies. He’s been wildly productive in the paint, especially since the turn of the calendar year. Since then, he’s top 15 in rebounds per game and top three in blocks per game across the entire league at 21 years old.
In Utah’s most recent contest, Kessler genuinely made two of the most impactful plays of the game. In the final seconds, he scored a bucket that tied the game, followed by an acrobatic game-saving block on the other end as time expired. The Jazz would end up going into overtime due to his heroics to pull off the victory.
It was the first game following the break, as Kessler looks better than ever. He finished with seven points and seven blocks to go along with 18 rebounds.
What’s interesting about Kessler is that he still has so much to unlock in his offensive game. At the college level at Auburn, he attempted 1.5 triples per game and knocked down just 20% of those shots. In his rookie season, he hasn’t yet opened up that part of his game as a potential floor spacer. In fact, in last night’s game he took the first 3-pointer of his NBA career and converted on it.
His mechanics are solid for a big, so if he’s able to begin consistently becoming a respectable shooter from deep, the sky is the limit offensively. Combine that with his ultra efficient scoring from inside the arc (71.3%) and you really start to see the potential if he can develop his jumper.
A cornerstone piece for the young Jazz, Kessler has the chance to become an extremely impactful two-way player. Utah shipped out its franchise center in Rudy Gobert over the summer, but may have already found the next.
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