If you think Lakers center Walker Kessler's going to have it easy in Los Angeles just because of a $130 million contract, you're way off. In fact, Kessler's payday is exactly why plenty of fans will be poised to criticize him if he fails to deliver out of the gate for the Lake Show.
And what does "delivering" look like for Kessler? Well, for one, he needs to stay healthy, which is a sizeable question mark following a season in which Kessler appeared in just five games for the Utah Jazz.
If Walker Kessler isn't a premier rim protector in the NBA, he'll fail the Lakers
Kessler's primary function on the Lakers will be as a defensive anchor and rim protector, a job that'll take plenty of effort playing behind cone-ish perimeter defenders in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Kessler can't just be average or good on defense if the Lakers want to contend. He needs to be elite, a reality that Lakers analyst Jovan Buha talked about this week.
"The Lakers are going to need [Kessler] to be in that class with guys like Rudy Gobert and Chet Holmgren in terms of most impactful interior defender, non-Wemby (centers)," Buha mused.
For dramatic effect, Buha made sure to remind his viewers that the Lakers sacrificed two first-round picks and two first-round swaps in the sign-and-trade for Kessler. LA also gave Kessler the biggest contract for a non-All-Star center in NBA history. It's a deal that's paying him for what Kessler is capable of, not what he's already accomplished.
Whether that contract looks like an overpay and a bad move by Rob Pelinka, or a wise one, all depends on Kessler. Yeah, that's significant pressure, and he'll have to deal with that pressure under the Hollywood spotlight, as well. It'll become apparent pretty quickly whether Kessler has the personality to deal with the bright lights or not. Then again, where he'll really solidify (or harm) his reputation will be in the postseason.
Walker Kessler needs to be rock-solid in the postseason for the Lakers to feel like they spent their money (and draft assets) well
The Lakers aren't shooting for any more first- or second-round exits in the Luka Era. That would be a failure of a season for them, considering they have a top-5 player in the world on their roster. They want to compete with -- and knock off the totem pole -- the Spurs and/or Thunder in the postseason.
To do so, the Lakers will need Kessler to be one of the best centers in basketball, as Buha talked about. Presuming Kessler's healthy in May and June, he'll also need to embrace the high-pressure environment of playoff basketball, an environment that he's never experienced. Good luck!
We're not in Utah anymore. Every game matters now. Winning matters. Kessler's either going to thrive under that pressure or be crushed by it, but nothing in between. We're about to find out what he's made of and how mentally tough he is. Hopefully, he's a dog.
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