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Since the Lakers acquired Walker Kessler over the summer, most of the conversation regarding his play, and subsequent impact, has been tied to the cost paid to land him.
The multiple years and millions of dollars, the draft picks and swaps, each have served as footnotes after every game thus far.
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While fair given what the Lakers need from him going forward, it has also put increased emphasis on his raw production rather than influence. If you’re into that kind of thing, Kessler’s per-game numbers are solid. His 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and four stocks nightly will play. However, it doesn’t capture the full spectrum of his impact.
On offense, Kessler is still navigating life as Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves’ screener. It’s an entirely new world compared to the barren guard groups he played next to with the Utah Jazz.
Things like timing, pick angles and court-mapping will take time. But the early results have been encouraging nevertheless.
After his dunk-centric eruption on opening night, defenses have already begun selling out in the paint to take away his lob and cut chances.
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Due to this, Kessler has not been able to duplicate his scoring outbursts, but it hasn’t lessened his value to the offense either. A direct result of teams loading up and tagging Kessler — often with multiple defenders — is that it has created open shots from the perimeter, as seen in the clips below.
Kessler’s roll gravity also extends to his rebounding ability. As one of the league’s best second-chance creators, and simply being a massive person, Kessler often draws multiple players to him whenever a shot goes up.
This fear is well warranted. The Lakers’ offensive rebound percentage jolts up nearly 10% when Kessler is on the floor compared to off. Like a black hole, this sucks up defenders from the corners and creates quality looks for shooters. The Lakers are currently shooting 43.9% from the corners this season, the second-best mark in the league.
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Beyond the attention Kessler attracts on offense simply from existing, his omnipresence is probably best demonstrated with the impact he’s had on the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/walker-kessler-having-more-impact-175855342.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-06 17:58:00
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