The Utah Jazz were already pegged to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. Following a surprisingly fun albeit mediocre start to the season, Walker Kessler's season-ending surgery certainly helps their chances of fulfilling their bottom-dwelling prophecy. Last night served as a poignant reminder of how dire things could get, as Kessler's absence on the boards was easily exploited by the Detroit Pistons.
The Jazz losing to the rising Pistons isn't exactly a shock, but it was hard not to notice Kessler's absence in Utah's case. Kessler is one of the league's very best rebounders, and the Pistons had 13 offensive rebounds in a game decided by 11 points.
This was of course led one of the NBA's most promising young big men in the game, Jalen Duren, who not only had 22 rebounds on the night, but seven of them were offensive. Kessler would have had his hands full with Duren, but a betting man would believe Duren's impact wouldn't have been as strong if the fourth-year Jazz center had been there with him down low.
In all fairness, the Jazz aren't completely deprived of rebounding talent. Jusuf Nurkic was pretty beastly on the boards last night, corralling 17 on the night. The Jazz will count on him more with Kessler out, but it's fair to say all-around, Kessler is the better option overall.
Utah will definitely feel Kessler's absence against West rivals
The Jazz went up against what looks like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and while they will also face much lesser competition in the East as the season goes on, they will also go up against tough competition in the West this season.
Pretty much every single team in the Western Conference wants to make the playoffs this season. The Jazz have signaled that they won't exactly roll over and die like many thought they would when the season started, but teams will definitely exploit the void left by Kessler as often as possible.
They may not necessarily have centers as talented as Duren, but the Jazz are now definitely aware of how impactful Kessler's absence is if they weren't before the Pistons were finished with them. While plenty of fans are all in favor of another tankjob this season, no one would have ever wished for Kessler to get hurt to make that possible.
What's interesting is that while Kessler's season-ending surgery could negatively impact his side in extension negotiations this summer, Utah's struggles without him could actually be to his benefit when they see how badly they perform without him. If the Jazz get a golden prospect when it's all said and done, everybody wins!