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.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Starting vs. Houston
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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.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Tuesday
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Kessler (rest) will not play in Tuesday's Salt Lake City Summer League matchup versus the Thunder, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports.
Kessler tallied 10 points, six rebounds, a game-high five blocks, two assists and two steals in Monday's Summer League win over the Grizzlies. However, the third-year big man will sit out of Tuesday's matchup, allowing the Jazz to get a better look at their rookie class of Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski. Kessler's next chance to play will come Wednesday against the 76ers.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Expected to play in Summer League
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The Jazz plan to have Kessler (nose) participate in the 2024 NBA Summer League, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.
After a nice rookie season in 2022-23 in which Kessler started his final 34 appearances, he was selected in the early-to-mid rounds of most fantasy leagues this season. Managers who did so were disappointed. The center's points (8.1) and rebounds (7.5) per game decreased, as did his field-goal percentage (65.4). He also started just 22 games and crossed the 30-minute threshold only eight times. While the Jazz also had interest in developing other bigs like John Collins and Taylor Hendricks, plus giving minutes to Kelly Olynyk before trading him to Toronto, Kessler's role gave the impression that he wasn't impressing coach Will Hardy. The organization seems to believe it would be best for Kessler to get more development minutes this summer.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Ruled out for Sunday
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Kessler (nose) will not play Sunday against the Warriors.
Kessler will end up missing the final six games of the campaign. After a breakout rookie season in 2022-23, Kessler couldn't really build on that momentum in 2023-24. He finished the season with averages of 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 23.3 minutes across 64 appearances.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Friday
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Kessler (nose) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler continues to deal with a nasal fracture and will be unavailable for a fifth consecutive matchup. His final chance to return during the regular season will be Sunday against Golden State.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Another absence coming
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Kessler (nose) is out for Thursday's game versus the Rockets, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports.
Kessler will miss his fourth straight contest Thursday due to a nasal fracture. Omer Yurtseven should receive another start in his absence.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Ruled out for Tuesday
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Kessler (nose) won't play Tuesday against the Nuggets, Ben Anderson of KSL News Salt Lake City reports.
Kessler will miss his third straight contest since suffering a broken nose. Omer Yurtseven should be in line for another start at center with John Collins (back) also out.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Just misses double-double in start
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Kessler chipped in 14 points (7-7 FG), nine rebounds and two assists over 27 minutes during Thursday's 113-97 loss to the Mavericks.
John Collins (face) sat out the contest, giving Kessler a chance to move into the starting lineup. Kessler performed well in making all seven of his field-goal attempts and leading Utah with nine boards, though he failed to record a block for the first time in his past 29 games. The big man has come off the bench for the majority of the campaign but still ranks second in the NBA with 2.5 swats per contest.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Joins starting lineup
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Kessler will join the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Mavericks.
John Collins (head) is being held out for the second leg of this back-to-back set, so this is an expected move for Kessler. As a starter this season, Kessler holds averages of 8.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Top rebounder off bench in loss
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Kessler closed Monday's 114-104 loss to Minnesota with six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and one block in 28 minutes.
Kessler returned to the bench in Monday's defeat, leading all players in rebounds while adding a half-dozen points to provide a spark off the bench. Kessler has grabbed 14 or more boards in three games this season, surpassing the double-digit mark in three of his last five outings.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Nears double-double in start
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Kessler closed with seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and one block over 30 minutes during Saturday's 119-100 loss to the Timberwolves.
Kessler returned to the starting lineup due to the absence of John Collins (rest), hauling in a team-high-tying rebound total while ending three points short of a double-double in a balanced performance. Kessler has been strong on the glass for Utah this season, posting his 14th game with 10 or more rebounds. He has grabbed 10 or more boards in three of his last five outings, adding five or more points in all three contests.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Top rebounder off bench in loss
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Kessler ended with two points (1-1 FG), eight rebounds, one assist and one block over 19 minutes during Tuesday's 123-107 loss to Boston.
Kessler continues to work his way back to full strength after recently returning to the rotation following time off with a right foot sprain. With Luka Samanic starting, Kessler moved to the bench Tuesday but led the Jazz in rebounds despite playing limited minutes. Kessler has hauled in eight or more boards in two straight contests since his return, taking the court in 21.5 minutes per game over that two-game span.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Returns to bench
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Kessler isn't in the starting five for Tuesday's game versus the Celtics, David Locke of Jazz radio reports.
Kessler will be replaced by Luka Samanic in the starting lineup. Kessler is averaging 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists in 22.8 minutes across his last five appearances coming off the bench.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Grabs 11 boards in return
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Kessler (foot) finished with six points (3-9 FG), 11 rebounds, two assists and one block across 24 minutes in Saturday's 142-121 loss to Denver.
Before missing the Jazz's previous four games with a right foot sprain, Kessler had come off the bench in each of his most recent three appearances, but he took on a starting role Saturday. He could be a candidate to hit the bench when the Jazz get both Lauri Markkanen (quadricep) and Taylor Hendricks (toe) back in action, but for the time being, Kessler may be in store for boosted minutes in a depleted Jazz frontcourt.
