Weeks before the season, JJ Redick spoke about the Lakers’ plan behind Walker Kessler. Now, two games in, Kessler has played like a player who cannot come off the floor, and the fans have taken notice.
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“We’re gonna have to play backup five minutes with (Kevon) Looney as the traditional (center),” he told ESPN LA.
Kessler logged 35 minutes on Friday and put up 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocks and three steals in the 125-117 win over the Clippers.
Redick spoke to reporters after the game, highlighting Kessler’s defensive impact and his fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“He’s a fantastic basketball player and I think he’ll continue to get better,” the Lakers coach said. “That was one of the reasons that we wanted him and he was so appealing to us it was because of his age. And feeling like the fit with our two stars was really good.”
The evidence supports his case. Walker Kessler had back-to-back 20-point games, shooting 10-of-14 from the field against the Clippers. In his Lakers debut against the Warriors, he scored 26 points on 12-for-12 shooting with nine rebounds and two blocks.
The Lakers paid heavily for that production. Kessler signed a four-year, $130 million contract on July 8, and the Lakers gave up a bundle of draft picks to land him from Utah. His opener was also his first regular-season game since shoulder surgery in November.
The reaction online has focused on how much the Lakers are leaning on him.
“This isn’t an original thought, but the Lakers really need to find a capable backup center so they don’t run Walker into the ground in the regular season,” said Lakers fan Daniel Starkand.
Anything around 35 minutes on average would keep a player in a crucial role, and one fan took aim at the minutes.
“Yep. 35 mins in game 2 of the regular season is a major warning sign. That is approaching what I’d expect in the postseason. It’s not sustainable, as amazing as he’s playing JJ has to be smart. And Rob needs to act,” the fan noted.
Another fan leaned into the role and spoke about how it could be secured long-term.
“Keeping walker healthy is now the most important job jj has. Luka and Reaves can fill in for eachother for a game or 2 when needed,” the comment read.
Still, not everyone expects an easy solution.
“I know it’s hard a lot of these young centers have low iQ and the good ones are on trash teams who don’t wanna give them up,” the user noted.
Another fan chose to look at the squad and spoke about their current reality.
“Unfortunately we have no assets and there are hardly any available,” the comment noted.
Those replies echo the practical problem of finding a quality backup. Kessler’s production makes it tempting to keep him on the floor, and his history makes that a risk. The Lakers’ front office has a limited set of picks and a thin market, so the backup plan may rely on Looney and Mamukelashvili for now.