The Utah Jazz’s rough start has only made the Walker Kessler deal look worse in the moment.
Utah is sitting at 1-11, which ties the team for the worst record in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are off to an 11-2 start and hold the No. 1 seed in the conference. It’s still early, but the early returns have been hard to ignore for Los Angeles.
The Lakers have benefited from a schedule that has been middle of the pack, and that has to be part of the conversation. Utah’s path has been different, and the Jazz will get a better read on themselves once they get healthy. The same goes for the Lakers, who will face a tougher test when the schedule tightens up.
Even with those caveats, Kessler’s production has been a major reason the Lakers have looked so strong. He is averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 67.5% from the field. The Lakers are also plus-11.6 with him on the floor and just 0.4 when he sits, a split that tells the story pretty clearly.
For Utah, the timing makes it sting even more. The Jazz were boxed in with Kessler this summer and had to squeeze out as much value as they could or risk losing him next summer. With the Jazz struggling and the Lakers rolling, it’s easy to see why Kessler’s impact is so frustrating to watch from Utah’s side.
Still, the season is only getting started, and the picture could change fast. The Lakers have caught the league off guard with their new pieces, though eventually opponents will adjust. And if there’s one thing the NBA teaches over and over, it’s that things swing back and forth.
It could all look different by 2027. For now, though, the Lakers have hit on the trade, and the Jazz have not. That’s the reality at this stage, even if it’s not the final word.
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Coach Will Hardy and team sources have noticed the growth, but they are also treating this as the beginning of Petersons education, not the end of it. The offense has come quickly, and the next test is whether he can keep absorbing a bigger role while tightening up the parts of his game that still need work, a challenge that will go a long way toward determining just how far this opportunity can take him. [Read more 🡒]