Walker Kessler’s return to Utah came with a little more weight than he expected, even if the Lakers walked away with the win.
Kessler played 28.5 minutes against the Jazz, the team he spent the first four years of his career with, and the night was quieter than the one he’d put together in his first two games with Los Angeles. He finished with two points on two shots, seven rebounds, no assists and one block. Afterward, he said the emotional side of the matchup got the better of him.
“ I think going into the game I let my emotions get the best of me,” Kessler said, per The Athletic’s Dan Woike (Twitter link). “ But you got to learn in those moments and move on.”
Even with Sunday’s muted outing, his start with the Lakers has been strong overall. Benjamin Royer of the OC Register wrote that Kessler has already shown value at both ends of the floor, especially in those first two games.
That early rhythm lines up with what Kessler said after the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Friday.
“ I think the way we’re playing, with how unselfish the guys are, it’s pretty easy to get back in rhythm, because we’re just competing to win,” Kessler said. “ I think the rest of it kind of takes care of itself.”
Around the Pacific Division, the Warriors are getting a more familiar-looking injury picture very soon after being forced to scramble. On Friday, they were so short-handed that Will Richard, Graham Ike, Brandon Williams and Gui Santos all started alongside rookie starter Yaxel Lendeborg.
But that emergency version of the lineup won’t last long. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports reported that Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green and Al Horford are all off the injury report and should be available Monday.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are getting steady production from Brook Lopez in the early stretch of his 19th NBA season. Janis Carr of the OC Register noted that Lopez has scored at least 15 points and recorded at least one block in each of Los Angeles’ first three games, even while coming off the bench every time.
As Isaiah Jackson put it, “ Brook, he’s been hooping. He’s been hooping,”
Then there’s Luka Doncic, who keeps posting numbers that make the noise around him look even stranger. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Lakers star was left off the NBA annual general manager survey’s list of likely MVP candidates, a result Amick suggested may have more to do with skepticism about the team than about Doncic himself. Draymond Green took it a step further, arguing there’s a “greatness fatigue” effect at work.
“ There’s no element of surprise if his team is the fourth seed. I just think, ultimately, he gets screwed because of it.
And it’s probably a little unfair,” Green said. “ Anybody else puts those numbers up, and they’re walking away with the MVP.
Like, home free. That’s why I made the comparison to Bron.
He’s got, what, four MVPs? You’re telling me he wasn’t the best player in the NBA for at least 10 seasons?
It’s greatness fatigue.”
Doncic answered again on Sunday, scoring 52 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds in a win over the Jazz.
In Other News...
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Jazz Get An Early Test In The Walker Kessler Decision
Walker Kesslers first trip back into the conversation with the Jazz comes with a little extra edge, even if the tone around it has stayed cordial. The center, now with the Lakers, has settled in quickly on a roster that appears to suit him, and the matchup offers Utah an early measuring stick for where it stands after moving on from a young big man who had become part of its core conversation.
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There is at least a bit of movement in the right direction. Nurkic has returned to limited practice, a sign his recovery is progressing as Utah looks ahead to an early-to-mid November return if everything stays on track. The Lakers, meanwhile, arrive in Salt Lake City in relatively good shape, with only Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero sidelined and Jake LaRavia active again after an ankle sprain. [Read more 🡒]