ESPN's Zach Lowe reveals if he thinks Walker Kessler could bounce back with Jazz
By Matt John
There will be a lot of questions surrounding the Utah Jazz. Among the most pressing will be what happens in Walker Kessler's third season.
Kessler is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign, played for the Jazz's summer league team, and was subject to trade rumors throughout the offseason.
However, for that same reason, Kessler is a golden candidate to for a bounceback season. ESPN's Zach Lowe explained why he believes as such.
Why Kessler is due for a bounceback
On the September 4 episode of "The Lowe Post," Lowe explained to Kevin Pelton why he believes Kessler can return to form for his third season.
"I'm very confident he is going to bounce back. He couldn't bounce lower than he did last year and then playing Summer League. I think the question for him is, what is his field level on offense?
"He's pretty good in the short-roll and all that, but can he have a little bit more development in terms of his feel and his movement? Moving on the ball (and) moving the ball on offense."
Kessler has already proven himself as a solid rim protector. Going forward, he has to show that he can be valuable on both sides of the floor.
He doesn't have to be a floor-stretcher or a lob threat. He only has to improve his touch around the rim and in the pick and roll. If he is part of the Jazz's future plans, and no one knows if he is or not, he has to show how he can be useful.
Luckily, plenty of promising players have slumps during their sophomore year before they start to blossom in Year 3. Kessler fits the mold as someone who could not only get his groove back, but could also be better than ever.
Would Kessler bouncing back be good for the Jazz?
Despite re-signing Lauri Markkanen, Utah is still expected to be among the worst teams in the NBA. The Jazz have signaled that they want to have something promising while they tank.
Kessler rounding back to form could be good for the Jazz in the long run, but in the short-term, it could also interfere with a potential Cooper Flagg pursuit in 2025. At the same time, the odds of Utah getting Flagg are not high regardless on paper.
Fans are growing sick of the Jazz sticking in No-Man's Land, which could be the case again if there is legitimate progress from Kessler's end. There is the off chance that Kessler could be amazing in Year 3 and it won't get in the way of tanking, but who knows if that's a chance the Jazz are willing to take?
This time a year ago, Kessler was the talk of the town following an impressive rookie season. Sure, he didn't capitalize on it, but it's way too early to count him out. It would shock no one if he takes another step forward.