Walker Kessler Pledges to Anchor Lakers Defense, Values Game-Saving Block Over Winning Basket
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New Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler says stopping opponents matters more to him than scoring, underscoring the defense-first role the club expects him to play this season and beyond.
In a “Get to Know” segment on the Lakers’ YouTube channel, the 22-year-old shot-blocker was asked which moment he would prefer to deliver: a decisive dunk or a decisive block.
“I would rather have a game-winning block,” Kessler replied, adding with a laugh that denying a shot and “breaking their hopes and dreams” is more satisfying than a last-second bucket.
Elite rim protector joins Doncic and Reaves
The 7-footer, acquired by Los Angeles during the offseason, will share the floor with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. While that pairing should provide him with easy looks at the rim, Kessler’s primary assignment will be protecting it.
He has averaged 2.4 blocks per game over his NBA career. In his final year at Auburn, he led the NCAA in blocks and earned the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
Reaves welcomes familiar face
Kessler and Reaves were teammates on the 2023 USA Basketball squad that competed in the FIBA World Cup. Reaves said he is pleased to reunite in Los Angeles, noting that Kessler’s presence should strengthen the Lakers’ interior defense.
Los Angeles believes the former first-round pick can serve as its long-term defensive anchor while also contributing as a finisher alongside the club’s playmakers. Kessler, for his part, made clear he is ready to embrace the role.
Source: Lakers Nation
