Walker Kessler could very well have his best NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. There's a fair argument that he was held back by the Utah Jazz due to their losing, and now that nothing should hold him back, the Lakers could bring out another level to his game. But let's not jump the gun just yet.
Kessler is an excellent basketball player - explaining why the Lakers gave up pretty much their entire future for him - who could pay off big time, but he hasn't done anything yet for them. And yet, he was ranked decently highly on ESPN's Top 100 earlier this week. While the Jazz got a fair amount of representation, Kessler's ranking was surprisingly high for someone who spent most of the season on the shelf.
He was ranked No. 73, 25 spots ahead of where he was last year. Since Kessler has been with the Jazz, last year was the first time he appeared on ESPN's Top 100, but typically, when players miss the season, that typically hurts their value. Look no further than how far Markkanen and JJJ fell on their list because they had injury-plagued seasons.
But it's also hilarious to see this *after* Kessler left the Jazz. No one's accusing ESPN of Lakers bias. At least, not explicitly. However, it's hilarious to see Kessler be ranked higher despite missing the entire season and despite not having any ironclad proof that he can contribute to a winning team.
It begs a fair question, though.
Would he be ranked this high if he had stayed?
It's not like the Lakers are a title contender (as far we know), but they are still the Lakers. Whether everyone likes it or not, they are one of the most popular franchises in all of professional sports worldwide, let alone in the NBA or in the country.
Even so, there's reason to believe Kessler got this ranking for reasons outside of the fact that he's now a Laker. In Utah, he would have shared a frontcourt with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. Not to mention playing next to the likes of Jusuf Nurkic and Kyle Filipowski.
Compare that to LA where his frontcourt mates are Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamushkavelli. It's fair to say that with the Lakers, Kessler will definitely get more chances to shine than he would have with the Jazz.
Does that erase the notion that this ranking is kind of ridiculous? No, but there's a solid chance it could be justified if all goes right for Kessler and the Lakers.
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