Kessler (hip) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Spurs.
Kessler is slated to miss a sixth straight game due to right hip bursitis. John Collins should continue to start at center. Kessler's next chance to suit up will come Saturday against the Knicks.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Will remain out for Tuesday
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Kessler (hip) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Lakers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler hasn't taken the floor since Nov. 9 due to right hip bursitis. His next chance at a return will arrive Thursday against the Spurs, though he'd likely need to ramp up his activity quickly to have a chance to play.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Sunday
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Kessler (hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Clippers, KSLSports.com reports.
Kessler will miss his fourth consecutive contest due to right hip bursitis. John Collins will likely draw the start at center again. Kessler's next chance to suit up will come Tuesday against the Lakers.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Saturday
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Kessler (hip) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Kings, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler will miss a third straight game due to a hip injury, and it's unclear whether he'll be able to return for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Clippers on Sunday. John Collins will likely continue to start at center for as long as Kessler is sidelined.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Thursday
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Kessler (hip) is out for Thursday's game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler is set for a second straight absence Thursday, and it seems the big man doesn't have a clear timetable for his return. This means John Collins and Drew Eubanks will absorb the minutes at center, with Collins likely starting in Kessler's place again. Kessler's next chance to play will come against the Kings on Saturday.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Ruled out for Tuesday
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Kessler won't play Tuesday against the Suns due to right hip soreness.
Kessler will miss his first game of the campaign Tuesday. Until he popped up on the injury report Tuesday, the Jazz had provided no indication that Kessler was bothered by the hip issue, so fantasy managers should operate under the assumption that he's day-to-day until further information is provided. With Kessler out of the lineup Tuesday, John Collins and Drew Eubanks will likely absorb all of the minutes at center.
Kessler finished with 12 points (6-7 FG, 0-2 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in 32 minutes during Monday's 135-126 victory over the Bulls.
The 16 boards were Kessler's career high, surpassing the mark of 15 he set last season -- ironically, also in Chicago in November. After struggling with consistency through Utah's first four games, Kessler has found his groove with back-to-back double-doubles, totaling 30 points, 30 rebounds, nine blocks and two assists while missing just two shots from the field. Kessler's numbers could take a hit when Lauri Markkanen (back) returns, but fantasy managers are getting what they wanted out of Kessler as a whole thus far if they drafted him in season-long formats.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Efficient double-double
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Kessler produced 18 points (5-6 FG, 8-12 FT), 14 rebounds and five blocks across 29 minutes during Saturday's 129-103 loss to the Nuggets.
Kessler notched his third double-double of the season and delivered an efficient showing from the field. Even though fantasy managers could use a bit more consistency from Kessler's scoring numbers on a game-to-game basis, the third-year big man has started the campaign on a strong note. Kessler is averaging 9.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per contest while recording three double-doubles across six contests.
Kessler finished with 12 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 30 minutes during Monday's 110-102 loss to the Mavericks.
Kessler was limited to just two points in the blowout loss to the Warriors on Oct. 25, but other than that, the big man has been excellent to start the season, posting two double-doubles in three starts. He remains an impactful player on defense as well, racking up eight blocks and three steals in those three contests.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Grabs nine boards vs. Golden State
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Kessler totaled two points (1-1 FG), nine rebounds, two assists and one block in 20 minutes during Friday's 127-86 loss to the Warriors.
Kessler was the Jazz's leading rebounder Friday, though that was about all he did in a blowout loss. Kessler had just one shot attempt and won't likely see many field-goal tries while playing alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George. However, Kessler will provide plenty of value on the defensive end of the floor, highlighted by his 2.4 blocks per game across 23.3 minutes per contest over 64 regular-season outings (22 starts) during the 2023-24 campaign.
Kessler had 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-5 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, five blocks and one steal over 30 minutes during Wednesday's 126-124 loss to the Grizzlies.
Kessler was extremely efficient Wednesday and delivered a strong effort on both ends of the court, though his 14 boards and five blocks certainly stood out. He looked dominant regardless of whether he was matched against Zach Edey or Jay Huff. Kessler should be a regular double-double threat as long as he remains the starting center for the Jazz. All signs point to that being the case.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Team option exercised
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The Jazz exercised the fourth-year rookie scale option on Kessler's contract Monday.
Kessler is now under contract through the 2025-26 season. After starting 40 games as a rookie, the big man made only 22 starts last year. He operated as a starter during the preseason, so an expanded role in Year 3 is possible, though it remains unclear if coach Will Hardy will let Kessler play 25-plus minutes a night consistently.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Grabs 15 rebounds Thursday
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Kessler finished with nine points (4-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 15 rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks across 24 minutes in Thursday's 107-102 preseason win over the Mavericks.
Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George (knee) and even John Collins delivered solid offensive performances, but Kessler made his presence felt defensively and on the glass, two areas in which he already stands out. It's unclear if Kessler will open the 2024-25 regular season as the Jazz's starting center, but either way, he should still play a consistent role.
Kessler is in the starting lineup for Monday's preseason game against the Rockets, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler drew the start in Utah's preseason opener against the New Zealand Breakers on Friday, and the 23-year-old will do so again Monday. He'll join Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and Taylor Hendricks in the Jazz's starting five, with John Collins presumably coming off the bench.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Will play with starters in camp
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Coach Will Hardy said Tuesday he anticipates Kessler playing a lot with the starters during the preseason, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.
After starting 40 games in 2022-23, Kessler made only 22 starts last year. Hardy was far from committal about Kessler being a starter to begin the 2024-25 campaign, but it does sound like the youngster will at least get a chance to compete for the top spot. The Jazz have a deep frontcourt with a solid mix of prospects and veteran players, and it's unclear how the playing time will be sorted out. For now, Lauri Markkanen and John Collins are the only guys guaranteed starter minutes.
