Salt Lake City – When Utah Jazz fans say goodbye to all-star Rudy Gobert, they’ll be thrilled to meet new defensive specialist Walker Kessler.
Kessler is one of the five players traded to Utah by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and depending on when the trade officially takes place, the rookie Big Man could make his NBA debut in jazz during the Summer League. I did.
Here’s what jazz fans can expect from their latest rookie Big Man:
Walker Kessler: Utah Jazz Rookie
First, Kessler Top recruit Kessler graduated from high school and entered the University of North Carolina in the summer of 2020. After seeing the Tar Heels as a freshman for a few minutes, Kessler transferred to Auburn and quickly blossomed on the Bruce Pearl system.
Kessler averaged 11.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and a staggering 4.6 blocks as a sophomore, shooting 60% off the floor in just 25 minutes per game.
Kessler is 7ft-1 and has a legitimate NBA size for the center to follow a standing reach of 9ft-5.
Auburn’s product is a solid athlete who easily runs on the floor in transitions, moves quickly near the hoop, and stacks blocked shots as both primary and defender. Kessler played very big in Auburn and blocked the shot with both hands by eliminating the ball’s path to the hoop.
Offensively, Kessler knocked down 70% of his two-point field goal attempts in a Gobert style, thanks to his long arms, a soft touch near the rim, and his willingness to finish on the rim.
The rookie will enter the NBA better as a scorer near the rim than jazz fans have seen in recent years, but his number of dunk shots is not similar to Gobert.
Kessler shot the ball well from the surroundings in high school, but not in college, so it will be a factor in deciding whether to be a starter or a spare big man in his NBA career.
Defensively he needs to be used in the NBA’s outdated drop coverage, but he simply doesn’t move his legs or hips enough to protect his surroundings.
Kessler confuses a small player trying to beat him to the rim, but can be exposed to a player who has the ability to shoot down dribbles across the three-point line.
His number of rebounds at Auburn was strong, but mainly due to his huge size compared to his competitors. Working with Kessler’s glass had less to do with his ability to sniff the ball and box out other players than his excellent frame.
Ultimately, Kessler’s overwhelming production as a shot blocker and his true 7-foot frame make him a relatively safe bet to end as the NBA’s rotation-level center. How he grows aggressively, especially as the jump shooter determines exactly how high his ceiling can be.
