During the 2025-26 season, Deandre Ayton infamously proclaimed he was not Clint Capela when complaining about the role which the Los Angeles Lakers were trying to stick him in. It is the same role that Walker Kessler has fully embraced. Rob Pelinka got it right during the second go-around.
The job description that Ayton was not willing to do has been one that Kessler has exceled with during the Lakers' first two games of the 2026-27 season. Let us define exactly what it means to be Capela. That should be pretty simple.
The overall philosophy is staying active and just positioning yourself to finish plays on offense, while otherwise prioritizing high energy, rim protection, and controlling the glass. Ayton did not want to do that. Meanwhile, Kessler's dominant start with the Lakers is showing the value of buying in.
Walker Kessler looks like an absolute star in his role with the Lakers
Kessler started his career with the Lakers on a — quite literal — perfect note. His debut against the Golden State Warriors featuring him scoring 26 points on a 12-of-12 night from the field. Dan Woike pointed out it was the second-best shooting game in Lakers history.
Who was the one person ahead of Kessler? Oh, this little known player called Wilt Chamberlain who shot 14-of-14 on his field goal attempts.
Kessler had to miss a shot eventually, and he did in the second game of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers when one of his attempts being blocked ended his perfect streak. The Lakers center had to settle for 22 points on a 10-of-14 shooting performance in the 125-117 win.
The key for Kessler is, unlike Ayton, there are no concerns about him getting his touches. The young big man has rightfully focused on defense (where he has eight blocks and three steals in two games) and rebounding (averaging 8.5 so far).
There has been a trust from him that his scoring opportunities will come. Guess what? With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves playmaking for the Lakers, that is a very safe bet.
Apart from the Capela comments last season, Ayton was also happy to point out that bigs cannot feed themselves. That much is true. It was still a wild thing to say on a team that had Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron James at the time.
Ayton demanded offensive touches to fuel the effort in every other department of his game. Kessler understands that effort in every other department leads to offensive touches. The latter mindset fills the Capela role as best as it could be for the Lakers.
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