What’s wrong with Walker Kessler in the NBA preseason?

Walker Kessler’s play this preseason for the Utah Jazz has been somewhat lackluster.

Utah Jazz fans were excited at the prospects of Walker Kessler after the 2022-23 NBA season. He had made the All-Rookie team after finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting. And he was going to be playing for FIBA Team USA, with a chance to raise his profile both at home and abroad.

Now, several months later, Walker Kessler’s FIBA Team USA stint was, to put it bluntly, disappointing. Some of the blame for that is on the coaching staff (ahem, Steve Kerr) and their reliance on non-traditional centers in the tournament, but did they know something that the rest of us missed? Why didn’t Kessler play more?

After 3 preseason games with the Utah Jazz, Walker Kessler has not looked like last year’s version, averaging 6 points and 5 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field (down from 72% last season), in 20.6 minutes per game.

While his blocks look the same (2.3 average), he had a 5 block game in the opener, but only 2 in 2 games since. His rotation defense and rebounding have been off. Any casual observer would think something was wrong.

For those saying “It’s the preseason, he’ll be fine”, remember that NBA players do this for a living. This is their JOB. Would you take the small in-office presentation lightly, compared to the big corporate convention keynote? No, because bombing either of them can be harmful to your career path. Walker Kessler needs to remain focused and bring that energy, even if it’s 20 minutes in a preseason game.

During the remaining preseason games, Kessler needs to find that hunger that drove him last season, before the accolades started rolling in. He needs to correct what’s gone wrong so far and make his presence known in the paint.

With young NBA centers in the Western Conference like DeAndre Ayton, Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama also ready to prove themselves, Kessler won’t be able to take nights off in 2023-24 – the Jazz will be counting on him as the starter from Day 1. He can rise to this challenge, and for the Jazz to succeed and reach the playoffs, they need him focused and ready to move forward.