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Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler makes Top 14 for Defensive Player of the Year odds

By Chad Porto

Jan 10, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) blocks the shot of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) blocks the shot of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /
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Walker Kessler is expected to have a huge season in 2023 for the Utah Jazz.

If you’re a fan of the Utah Jazz and their young, defensive-minded center, Walker Kessler, you’re going to love the recent news. As reported by Sports Illustrated, there are oddsmaking websites that believe that Kessler could have a huge season for 2023-2024. One, so large, that he may even contend for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Utah Jazz’s big man isn’t going to have an easy road to winning the award, however. The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley are the top two names at the moment, and that seems fair. Mobley was fantastic last year, so his involvement at the top is very well-earned.

The rest of the list is mostly expected down to No. 9 Mikal Bridges, but then things get funky. OG Anunoby, Nicolas Claxton, and Chet Holmgren are all higher than Kessler, and that’s a bit odd.

  1. Jaren Jackson Jr. +600
  2. Evan Mobley +600
  3. Giannis Antetokounmpo +750
  4. Bam Adebayo +900
  5. Anthony Davis +1000
  6. Joel Embiid +1300
  7. Rudy Gobert +1400
  8. Brook Lopez +1400
  9. Mikal Bridges +1800
  10. OG Anunoby +1900
  11. Nicolas Claxton +2000
  12. Chet Holmgren +2000
  13. Draymond Green +2200
  14. Walker Kessler +2500

For our money, Kessler should be in the Top 10. He’s that good defensively. He showed real promise last year on both sides of the court, and there’s no real reason that Claxton or Holmgren are higher than Kessler.

Also, at his age, Green shouldn’t be higher than Kessler either. He’s still a viable defender but he’s not exactly the guy you want to lean on anymore as the centerpoint of your defense. If he’s the number two guy, sure, but as the guy? He’s not that player anymore.

Kessler will need to play hard, and consistently if he wants to prove he’s too much lower than the Top 10. Right now I think it’s fair that former Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert is ahead of Kessler, but that opinion may change if Kessler comes out of the blocks strong.

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