Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler made 11 threes through his first three NBA seasons, including six in 58 appearances in 2024-25. He then buried six threes in his first five games in 2025-26—only to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his non-shooting shoulder.
Fast forward to the present and Kessler's enigmatic jump shot is gaining fanfare once again—and if recent developments prove meaningful, it could be the key to elevating the Lakers' offense to legitimately elite status.
It's difficult to invest any kind of faith in a five-game sample size at the start of a new season. It may very well have been a run of form that Kessler is ill-equipped to sustain, and he may not have made enough progress in the months since to utilize his outside shot for consistent success.
One simply can't help but acknowledge that Kessler was seen attempting and knocking down corner threes after a recent Lakers practice.
Walker Kessler working on corner 3s after practice pic.twitter.com/Xegyxtnqrj
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 29, 2026
Kessler was also seen attempting threes from above the break, which implies there's a degree of pick-and-pop potential in Los Angeles, as well.
The pick and roll pop 3 for Walker Kessler is a new thing for the lakers. Ayton butter hands can’t even catch a pass 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/kS6VKJCFM7
— Cameron Carr Muse (@LakersPixie) September 30, 2026
It's too soon to know how this will translate to games, but if Kessler adds a consistent three-point shot to his arsenal, the entire look of the Lakers' offense would change dramatically.
Walker Kessler was seen shooting threes after Lakers practice
The Lakers have the potential to be elite on offense regardless of how Kessler's jump shot manifests. Los Angeles was No. 10 in offensive rating a season ago and have now built a roster that fits franchise player Luka Doncic's preferred style of play.
Compounded by Austin Reaves' continued development into a star-caliber scorer and playmaker, and the addition of volume-scoring reserves in Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, the Lakers have significant offenisve firepower.
In saying that, Doncic hasn't consistently played with a center who can space the floor since 2021-22, when he had Kristaps Porzingis until the trade deadline and Maxi Kleber in his last healthy season. Though both were excellent at what they offered, neither Kleber nor Porzingis were ideal pick-and-roll partners for Doncic in the way that Kessler projects to be.
With this in mind, adding a new weapon on offense for Doncic, a two-time scoring champion who ranks No. 12 all-time in assists per game, offers lethal possibilities.
Lakers must be wise about how Walker Kessler's jumper is utilized
Kessler's greatest value will be when he's closest to the basket. He's one of the NBA's premier offensive rebounders, boasting an average of 3.4 per game and 4.8 per 36 minutes. He's also an excellent finisher inside who can unlock the Lakers' interior offense as a lob target and occasional post-up option.
In saying that, if head coach JJ Redick can find ways to create efficient jump-shooting opportunities for Kessler within the flow of the offense, then Los Angeles' offense will border on unstoppable.
Assuming Kessler can even shoot just upward of 30 percent on threes, opposing teams will need to get a hand in his face. That would create wider driving lanes for downhill scorers Doncic and Austin Reaves, and would inevitably force someone to cheat off of their man to bring help.
That alone would optimize the offense's execution, as Doncic and Reaves are high-level playmakers who can kick the ball out to the Lakers' revamped cast of catch-and-shoot options.
Walker Kessler with a jump shot would transform the Lakers' offense
The question, of course, is whether or not Kessler is actually a good enough shooter to warrant said opportunities. Forcing teams to account for his presence along the perimeter would be a win regardless, but if he can't at least somewhat consistently bury open shots, then teams will start giving them to him.
That would result in the Lakers not only effectively playing 4-on-5 on offense, but their best source of second chances playing further from the rim with no real payoff for his efforts.
That makes this a risky development to get excited about, as Kessler may simply be in the process of developing a shot he's not yet ready to use in games. Yes, there is an intriguing five-game sample size to point back to, but that's simply not enough to ignore the fact that he was a non-shooter across his previous 196 appearances.
Nevertheless, Kessler's enigmatic jump shot is back under the spotlight and the Lakers may have a chance to transform their offense into a juggernaut if it's real.
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