Walker Kessler has settled into his new role with the Los Angeles Lakers, but JJ Redick is already zeroing in on one area that needs to get better fast: the glass.
Before the Lakers’ 103-87 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome, Redick made it clear that Kessler’s rebounding has not matched the standard he expects.
“Well, I think where he can continue to grow with us, if you look at per-36 numbers, per-minute numbers, he’s not rebounding at the rate, and obviously that’s a area of concern for us right now,” Redick said, via Infanity TV. “So, need him to be better, particularly on the defensive glass.”
Redick then pointed to a lesson from his own playing days, recalling a conversation about Dwight Howard, the kind of rebounder who could wreck a possession before it even really started.
“I think one of the things that I always think about with really good rebounders, I remember my rookie year, BJ Armstrong was a agent at Wasserman at the time and came down to Orlando to check on me,” Redick continued. “We’re having dinner after the game, and he was talking about Dwight [Howard], and he said, ‘You know what Dwight’s superpower is?’
“I said, ‘No, I don't,'” Redick added. “And he said, ‘He can rebound outside his space.
He can rebound outside his airspace.’ And I’ve seen Walker do it.
That’s where I think he can give us the biggest boost right now.”
Redick knows exactly what that kind of force looks like. He played with Howard on the Orlando Magic, and Howard’s résumé on the boards is impossible to miss: five rebounding titles and a reputation as a monster around the rim.
Kessler showed some of that promise against the Clippers, finishing with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block. But the larger picture still has Redick looking for more.
Through 2026-27, Kessler is averaging 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Lakers. He also hasn’t posted a double-double yet, and his 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes are a career low. During his first four NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, he was never below 11.5 rebounds per 36.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have been winning games while still leaving a glaring problem unresolved. They improved on the glass against the Clippers with 48 rebounds, their best total of the season, but they remain the worst rebounding team in the league.
Los Angeles is averaging only 38.0 rebounds per game in 2026-27. The Phoenix Suns are the only other team under 40.0 at 39.7. That kind of number is hard to live with for long.
At 4-1, the Lakers have found ways to do plenty of things well. Rebounding has not been one of them, and Redick is making sure Kessler hears that message early.
The 25-year-old, the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has already drawn plenty of praise in a Lakers uniform. Shaquille O’Neal called him the best center in the NBA after Kessler’s Lakers debut against the Golden State Warriors, and Luka Doncic also applauded him for quieting the doubters who questioned the price tag of two first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps, and a four-year, $130 million deal.
If the rebounding doesn’t improve, that noise could come back quickly.
Next up for Kessler and the Lakers is a matchup with the Warriors at Chase Center on Friday at 10 p.m. ET, a frontcourt he dominated in the season opener. You’d expect him to be ready for another shot at them.
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