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Confidence Level in Walker

What does Walker's future hold?

  • Will be better than Gobert

  • Just as good as Gobert

  • He's still a future All Star or DPOY

  • Still a future 30+ MPG player

  • Zubac level starter

  • Bench player


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I'm pretty confident that Kessler can be a solid starter-level player, perhaps comparable in value to Brook Lopez. Lopez has more shooting/scoring chops, but Kessler is quicker and bouncier. Kessler needs to develop a counter move, whether it's a little hook shot or push shot. Kessler is a solid rebounder and rim protector, and that's a nice skillset to have.

I'm not 100% convinced that Kessler is what Danny Ainge envisions at the 5 long term, but I guess we'll find out eventually.
I don't see him as comparable to Brook. Brook always had a scoring bag. Walker has the same bag as Gobert, zero. He just is a bit more fluid in his bagless game.

Zubac, Poetl, Allen, Adams are the guys I would comp Walker to. Adams would be a great target for Walker to hit as he has developed a nice passing game. I just don't trust Walkers shooting touch outside the paint to reliably expand his game.
 
This season has been disappointing. No other way to say it.

Let's be honest he looks closer to Zubac than Rudy. It's still early in his sophomore season so not throwing in the towel yet. On the bright side he did look more like his rookie self in the previous game against the Nets.
 
I said in the game thread that he may have KATs mindset paired with Rudy's skillset, but I hope thats not the case.

Nice guys dont just suddenly turn into mean mfs, and Kessler just lacks the skills to play effective as a finesse player. I'm not ready to send him to a gulag to grow toughness, but he needs to really start trying to push guys around and develop that physical side of his game. Let him foul out every game if thats what it takes.
 
I said in the game thread that he may have KATs mindset paired with Rudy's skillset, but I hope thats not the case.

Nice guys dont just suddenly turn into mean mfs, and Kessler just lacks the skills to play effective as a finesse player. I'm not ready to send him to a gulag to grow toughness, but he needs to really start trying to push guys around and develop that physical side of his game. Let him foul out every game if thats what it takes.
He doesn't really need to push guys, just don't be afraid to go up strong and force contact.
 
It's safe to say the Jazz have zero confidence level in Walkers post ability. They have never called a post up for him in his career that I can recall. I think he had one in preseason and it was worse than Rudy level tragic.

His corner 3 looks legitimately awful. He has such a long way to go to develop any skill.
 
also rudy might not be better offensively but teams fear the rudy-joe lob. They know it’s coming but they can’t do anything about it.
 
It's safe to say the Jazz have zero confidence level in Walkers post ability. They have never called a post up for him in his career that I can recall. I think he had one in preseason and it was worse than Rudy level tragic.

His corner 3 looks legitimately awful. He has such a long way to go to develop any skill.
He had a hook shot in the post last night that he put in with his left hand.

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Fwiw Kessler last year vs this year:

2022-23: 9.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg
2023-24: 8.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.7 bpg

This season he has dealt with injury too.

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What a strange bump with Walker having his best game of the year a couple games ago against the nets. He has been inconsistent but is definitely showing his potential this year.
 
What a strange bump with Walker having his best game of the year a couple games ago against the nets. He has been inconsistent but is definitely showing his potential this year.

I think some of us are just frustrated with the way he plays at times. He avoids contact.
 
And getting thrown to the floor by Niang
How is that a criticism? I could throw shaq to the floor and I'm way smaller than niang.

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IMO this season Kessler has become more keenly aware of what he can't do in the NBA (mostly on offense) and is overcompensating by needlessly hunting for blocks at the expense of other things – rim protection being his one "core" skill that he trusts. He's even biting on fakes. He NEVER bit on fakes last season.

As I pointed out in another thread, we're also playing a very different brand of offensive basketball this season. There's less spacing and more small guys driving into the trees with blinders on, mostly ignoring open perimeter shooters, which leads to the interior collapsing even more. Kessler simply has zero space, unlike last year when he constantly seemed to find himself open for alley-oops and easy putback dunks. At this point of his career he can't function well on offense when there's a lot of contact.
 
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