Walker Kessler, the second-year center for the Utah Jazz, took the NBA by surprise during his rookie season. Kessler was selected as the 22nd pick in the 2022 draft and became part of the Jazz’s roster through the Rudy Gobert trade. He started in 40 games and earned a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.
Is Walker Kessler Attempting to Extend His Shooting Range?
Walker Kessler’s Play Style
Kessler possesses the potential to earn a spot on future All-Defensive teams. This is thanks to his playing style comparable to the player he was traded for, Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a six-time All-Defensive Team member. Kessler demonstrated his prowess as an elite rim protector, averaging 2.3 blocks per game while maintaining an impressive 72% field goal percentage, primarily fueled by dunks and layups.
Due to Kessler’s current playstyle, playing in the playoffs could be difficult at times. Although his offensive strength is at the rim, it can also take away from other players’ strengths in that area because there is constantly a defender in the paint. During this preseason, Kessler appears to be actively working on expanding his shooting range.
Extending His Range
Kessler is shooting 1-4 from three-point range through his first four preseason games. While this may not seem like anything at first glance, looking at last season, Kessler went 1-3 shooting threes through 74 games. From the last regular season to this preseason, Kessler went from zero attempts per game to one. This does not make him an immediate threat as a shooter, as he will first have to prove that he can make shots.
On a less optimistic note, Kessler’s free throw percentage as a rookie was only 51.6%. Good shooters are almost always good free-throw shooters. Watching to see if his free throw percentage improves this year could be a tell on if he can convert his three-point attempts.
Kessler does have some experience getting up threes. During his sophomore season at Auburn, he attempted 1.5 threes per game but shot just 20%. Back in high school, Kessler shot 35% on 3.1 three-point attempts per game over his three-year varsity career. The high school and college three-point lines are much closer than the NBA line; however, Kessler has shown that his jump shot has potential, especially in high school.
Other Players Who Have Extended Their Range
Even if Kessler does not become a shooting threat this season, it does not mean he will not be one in a few years. There is a list of big men who did not start their careers as players who could shoot but were able to develop the skill. Some notable names include Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez, Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka, and Paul Millsap.
Among the players on this list, Kessler’s potential to extend his shooting range draws the closest comparison to Lopez. Lopez has been able to extend his range due to his change from a back-to-the-basket scorer to a floor-spacing rim-protector who can still play at the basket offensively. This has allowed Lopez to win a championship next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, allowing him to take advantage of his strengths.
The Jazz do not currently have a player on Antetokounmpo’s level, but by Kessler extending his shooting range, he can open up more rim opportunities for players like John Collins as a lob threat or Lauri Markkanen as a cutter. Incorporating a three-point shot into his repertoire has the potential to not only create opportunities for other Jazz players but also elevate Kessler’s overall game.
