It's hard to stay optimistic about the Utah Jazz after such an awful start. That's what happens when entering a season with actual expectations for a change. What makes it even harder is seeing that Walker Kessler and the Los Angeles Lakers have been the exact opposite.
While the Jazz are 1-11, tying them for the worst record in the Western Conference, the Lakers are 11-2, putting them as the No. 1 seed in the conference. It's early, but the returns have still been pretty amazing for the Lakers. Winning as much as they have has justified what they gave up to get him.
Their schedule has been middle of the pack, which has definitely been different from the Jazz's, but even so, the Lakers are taking care of business. We'll get to see the real them when it starts to get tougher, just like we'll get to see the real Jazz when they get healthy.
Even so, it's hard to argue against Kessler's role in their success. He's averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 67.5% from the field. The Lakers also have a net rating of plus-11.6 when he's on the floor (excellent) and 0.4 when he's off the floor (average).
The Jazz were in a bind with Kessler this summer, where they either had to get as much as they could out of him or risk losing him next summer. But at times like these, when the Jazz have struggled, the Lakers have thrived, and Kessler's presence would help Utah a lot at the moment with what they're dealing with, it's tough to watch in real time.
It's too early to come to conclusions for now
The season is still young, but for now, the Lakers look really smart, and the Jazz look... not nearly as much. The Lakers have taken the league by surprise with their new personnel. In all fairness, that goes beyond Kessler, but eventually, teams will learn how to cover them.
It could be a totally new ball game when 2027 arrives. In the NBA, it ebbs and flows. The Jazz have been through this before (though not this badly) and have come out on top (to some degree). This initial result was probably the last one Utah wanted, but the season is 82 games for a reason (no rhyme intended).
This could look foolish, but for the time being, the Lakers hit a home run with this trade, and the Jazz whiffed. However, that's only for now.
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