Will Walker Kessler get a lot of playing time on Team USA during the FIBA World Cup?

Walker Kessler is the only true center on Team USA heading into the FIBA World Cup.

Walker Kessler has the feeling of greatness around him. He exploded as a defensive dynamo in his rookie year with the Utah Jazz. He was a consistent force when given minutes, and in just 23 minutes of action, he averaged 9.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. While he pulled down a respectable 72% from the floor, it was Kessler’s ability to come in and become and instant rim protector.

The defense alone got people hyped on Kessler and now he headlines Team USA as it heads into the FIBA World Cup. Most of the players on the team are very young, with Josh Hard and Bobby Portis as the two oldest players at just 28. So Kessler is among his peers right now. That said, will the 22-year-old big man, who averaged nearly five blocks per game at Auburn, see the same kind of minutes for Team USA that he did in Utah?

The odds are likely.

While anything can change from moment to moment, right now Kessler is the team’s only true center, and with teams like Spain featuring multiple true centers, Kessler’s going to see minutes. The European game isn’t getting away from traditional centers, and it’s very likely that someone like Kessler is going to get huge minutes, especially with teams like Spain and Serbia being among the favorites to win the whole thing.

While Team USA features Portis and Jaren Jackson Jr., neither of them is big enough for Spain’s roster or can go toe to toe with Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world. Kessler can’t stop Jokic, but he can probably give him a far more physical encounter just due to his sheer size compared to anyone else on the roster.

As for a team like Spain, Kessler’s going to need to be featured heavily if Team USA wants to slow down the defending champions. Keep in mind that outside of the wins in 2014 and 2010 that Team USA had, the only other winners for nearly 20 years have been Team Spain.

Not only that but the stars of the 2019 squad, former Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio, and the Hernangomez twins are back on the team for 2023 to try and repeat. So Kessler is going to have to be relied upon to keep guys out of the paint.

A huge FIBA tournament may elevate Kessler’s standing, but a bad outing will definitely ding his budding reputation.