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.
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.
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.
Beyond the attention Kessler attracts on offense simply from existing, his omnipresence is probably best demonstrated with the impact he’s had on the Lakers’ defense.
As the backbone and backline, Kessler’s presence in the paint has allowed the team’s wings to be extremely aggressive shocking the ball with the trust that the center will clean up any mistakes. This disruptive style has resulted in the Lakers being one of the best defenses in terms of forced turnovers.
And when his teammates do get burned for gambling or getting blown by, Kessler has been iron-clad protecting the basket.
Not only are opposing teams shooting just 26.9% of their shots at the rim when Kessler is on the floor — would rank fourth-best in the NBA — they are also missing once he meets them there.
Among the 12 players who have defended at least 50 shots within six feet this season, Kessler ranks first in defended shooting percentage against (45.1%) while also contesting the second-most attempts behind only Victor Wembanyama, according to the league’s tracking data.
Kessler’s deterrence and effectiveness in shutting off the paint is not solely due to his size.
His height and frightening wingspan do help, yes. But what drives his success is his impressive motor. With every second jump contest, race down the floor and closeout to a 3-point shooter, Kessler’s care factor is never in doubt. That goes a long way to actualizing his defensive upside.
Despite how hard he ultimately tries, the Lakers are learning firsthand that Kessler can’t be everywhere at once. This is never more true than the defensive drop-off once he’s on the bench.
Through their first nine games, the Lakers have allowed a defensive rating of 110.1 with Kessler on the court compared to 117.2 when he’s been off. That’s a discrepancy that is the equivalent of the team performing like the eighth-best defense versus the 26th.
While his individual numbers will likely fluctuate nightly, and even quarterly, as illustrated by his dominant final frame — 10 points, five rebounds, four blocks and a steal — against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Kessler has proven to be more than suited for the role bestowed upon him.
He may not be the thundering force that Dončić is or as crafty as Reaves, but Kessler’s job as the Lakers’ silent protector has been as critical to the team’s strong start.
It won’t always look like he’s had a good game in the box score. But just watch how that opposing ball-handler goes wide-eyed and makes a U-turn when the giant in purple and gold makes his stand.
More than any numbers can ever quantify, Kessler’s game is measured in fear. And the Lakers are benefiting from it so far.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social
