Walker Kessler Discussion: Rim Protector And Lob Threat

We dropped a tier no doubt. The team is different, not necessarily better.

Kessler was only a full-time starter for 1 season in Utah; most of what you speak of happened in that season..yet the Jazz still wanted to move him. In that great season, he still avg 12 and 12 in 30 minutes.

I'm still not sure about the price we paid..who were we bidding against? Ourselves?

 

We didn't. We are still in 3-6 fight at the West. Can win a round of playoffs but not enough to beat the top 2. To be seen how we fair with them, last year we got smothered.

Games played in tanking teams are useless. He sat many times for being too good. People that follow the Jazz team said it.
Jazz didn't want to move them, that's a lie. They literally made him an offer.

He was playing in a bad team. He is not a creator. He's playing with Luka now.

We paid the price needed to get him. We couldn't wait for next year like it's happening with Duren. He could accept Utah offer too. We were decisive and got a DPOY candidate that fits perfectly with this team construction and timeline. His strengths are ideal to offset our other 2 stars flaws.

Production on-court will speak and we'll see who's right.

 

Meh..He avg 30 minutes a game in his best season, unless they felt like that contributed to tanking. They went full mode into tanking last seaon true..he got injured 5 games in. The Jazz had him for his whole career, they could have paid whatever he wanted, they offered what they thought he was worth. We offered more that's why he's here.

Luka wanted Williams, he wanted Duren, he wanted Robinson, Gafford. He likes a certain type of player, but It not like he demanded Kessler or else. His numbers are what they are, 30M and 2FRP is an overpay IMO. DPOY candidate...he has to make through a full season first.

As far as the team..you are making a lot of assumptions. Luka and Austin have 1 playoff win together. Most of the guys we picked up, have little to no playoffs experience. It's a very optimistic prediction, that were are just going to be better ,than some of these playoff teams returning the bulk of thier players.

I say 5-7 you say 3-6. We see either way.

 

I think Kessler will be a really good fit. Seamless even, he has a high motor and moves his feet surprisingly well.

I think he will get us to a top 15 defense and Luke will get us a top 5 offense.

I’m worried whether he can be played off the court in the offseason. We won’t know that until then.

 

We were 19th last season so that's a start. It depends on the wings and his durability.

Top 5 offense? You think Luka avg 40?

 

In the end this is going to be looked at as a bargain. We now have a strong core that has the potential to win several championships and likely will. People will be saying how did those darn Lakers pull that off??

 

IMO it will be other teams adapting to how we are playing come playoff time. We will be kicking a$$ in good old style Laker fashion.

We will still let all you people jumping on the championship train late celebrate with us. We are good that way!!!...lol.

 

@Toklat breaking out the kool aid early

 

one thing i don't understand about the kessler discourse is that switching him for ayton is likely to take us from being pretty bad to just mediocre. the center position is maybe the most important spot defensively, and going from a negative to one of the best in the league could have a greater impact than people think.

this theory that he's going to just be overrun with penetration is possible, but...that would have been the same last year, when ayton was there to wave at those guys when they got in the paint.

people are also ignoring that lebron's regular season defense was pretty blah (and sometimes really bad). luka will be better in that spot defensively than lebron was last year, imo. if we were able to run thybulle (especially) or williams at the other forward spot (or kuminga, of course), we could be substantially improved there.

 

All that.
I think people are unaware that he grades out along Gobert and Chet on defensive big man stats, the best humans in the league. Arguably better than them.
It will change completely our defense. Like AD did.

It's just one of those things where summer discourse is super wrong until the ball starts rolling. Happens every summer. Same with JJ being touted as a podcast coach who would be awful and he delivers b2b +50 wins or Smart and Ayton being washed and our team old and with no defense to being a +50 win with so much injuries throughout, etc etc.
I love the ESPN rankings and such putting us #14 behind Charlotte and what not, it's laughable. We were a play-in team last years too. Let's talk in October

Now, I do expect the team to take some time to gel. It's a full revamped roster. Only 3 guys remain from the rotation. It's unheard of. I expect a slow start, a possible tough stint and then finishing strong.

 

Man you guys need to stop. Gobert and Holmgren have a strong body of work to peruse. Kessler only became a full time starter in the season before last. He played 5 games last season.

People can go overboard, with this similarity stuff. 12pts and 12 rebs, is still 12pt and 12 rebs. Ayton avg a double double in the playoffs and played in 71 regular season games. Which would be a career high for Walker. Ayton may not be a shot blocker, but damn..Walker Kessler isn't 24M per season better than him either.

That "LeBron is gone!!!" sugar high , is clouding you guy's judgment.

 

NO

 

We are going to be fine brother..I just don't expect big things THIS season.

 

Just finished a 10k with my daughter and granddaughter, I gotta drink something...lol.

 

I'm diabetic so no sugar high with me, you can believe everything I write...lol.

 

Me too brother..type 2. You and LT are lapping me big time with the optimism so far. I might catch up by January.

10k? Jeesh..I struggle with 5 laps around the gym these days. Salute

 

It helps when you don't base all your opinions in points and rebs. It's 2026 brother:



"top defenders in our Defensive Impact on Possession Quality stat at BBall Index for 2024-25 (not this year):

1) Walker Kessler
2) Chet Holmgren
3) Rudy Gobert
4) Wemby"

"Kessler's rating in 2024-25 is higher than any 2013-26 Lakers player, and ranks 16th overall of 6,804 players in that span."