Preseason Debut of Lakers’ Walker Kessler
LAS VEGAS — Lakers coach JJ Redick’s message to Walker Kessler is straightforward: be “relentless.”
This means being tenacious on both ends of the court. It’s about running hard and making quick transitions between plays, setting effective screens, rolling confidently to the basket, and grabbing rebounds.
And the Lakers certainly saw those traits on display during Kessler’s preseason debut, even though the game ended in a 101-89 loss to the Warriors at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, just one game before the end of the exhibition season.
The 7-foot-2 center contributed significantly, scoring 11 points, pulling down nine rebounds (including two on the offensive end), and recording one block and one steal during his 16 minutes on the court in the first half before sitting out the remainder of the game.
Kessler, who joined the Lakers from the Jazz via a sign-and-trade deal that saw him earn a hefty four-year, $130 million contract, had missed the first three preseason games due to a left pinky finger injury.
“He’s a fantastic fit for our team,” Redick remarked, praising Kessler’s performance. “He did an excellent job running the floor, crashing the boards, and had some great rebounds in traffic. He protected the rim well too. Overall, a very solid first half for him.”
“I mean, it’s impressive for someone who hasn’t played in, what, 10 days?”
Kessler’s influence on the game was definitely noticeable, a lot like his substantial 270-pound physique.
While he was on the floor, the Lakers outscored the opposing team by 15 points—remarkable for Kessler’s first NBA game in almost a year after he could only manage five appearances in the previous season due to shoulder surgery.
“I had a great time being back out there,” Kessler said. “It’s been such a long wait. Honestly, I was feeling a bit nervous before the game. But once I got on the court and started playing with the guys, it was just a lot of fun.”
Kessler made an impact right from the start, even before registering any statistics. In the Lakers’ first play, Austin Reaves missed a jumper, but Kessler was quick to grab an offensive rebound as the ball deflected off a Warriors rookie, resulting in a team rebound.
“JJ and I discussed it, and ‘relentless’ is what we settled on for this season,” Kessler explained. “For me, that means being aggressive on the boards, making my presence felt in the paint, playing hard every single play on both ends of the court. That’s my focus going forward.”
After an inbound pass, Reaves quickly initiated another pick-and-roll play with Kessler, who rolled strongly to the basket, drawing the Warriors defense and allowing Reaves to find Quentin Grimes for an open three-pointer.
Kessler’s ability to make space for outside shots became apparent, generating several good looks beyond the arc.
“He opened up four or five quality looks for us just by rolling hard,” Reaves mentioned. “People might overlook it, but his presence creates pressure on the rim, which pulls defenders down and leads to our wide-open shots. We took advantage of that a lot.”
With one more preseason game to go against the Nuggets, and just a week left until the Lakers kick off the regular season against the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Kessler is eager to build on Tuesday’s performance.
“I’m really focusing on getting that game feel back,” he said, reflecting on his goals for improvement. “It’s about the rhythm, and that will develop as I play more with the team now that I’m cleared. I felt decent performance-wise; the first few minutes were a bit tough, but after I settled in, my legs felt good.”
