walker kessler scouting report

Kessler's latest work in this breakout 2021-22 season was a second triple-double, which led Auburn to a 75-58 win against Texas A&M on Saturday. If youre into analytics, Kessler had the highest block percentage of all time since 2009-10 at 19.05% (CBB Reference). The Minnesota Timberwolves addressed their interior defense by selecting Auburn center Walker Kessler with the No. Free Throws. Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images The Timberwolves made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 after finishing seventh in the West and defeating the Clippers in their play-in game. Walker Kessler is a lock top 60 guy and I think has to be considered a fringe 1st rounder at this point. The Ringers Kevin OConnor projects Kessler to the Bucks in his latest mock draft and had this to say: Massive interior force with elite shot-blocking and finishing skills. With more than 8.6 million residents, the city product per capita in Ho Chi Minh City reached nearly 5000 USD/person. Mar 11, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports, Mar 18, 2022; Greenville, SC, USA: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. If he can get 6-10 PPG just from PNRs, FTs, OREBs, and dump offs, thats more than enough. Please, How good was Kessler anchoring Auburns defense as a top-ten team in the country for most of the year? Has nimble feet for a footer . Welcome to Hoop-Math. Tim Connelly and the rest of the front office seemed to fill some of those holes with their first-round pick in Kessler. Connelly and staff said it best - we won't be able to judge these picks after Summer League or even after year 1. Cookie Notice Ideally, a defender should stunt at the popping big and recover to their own man to buy Kessler time to recover back, but teams that ran flat middle ball screens were getting open looks against Auburns ice coverage. Simply wasn't the same player at North Carolina. Update Kessler will head to the Timberwolves, who traded for the No. Strengths: Walker is a skilled long big bodied post player. With the 7'0" big man hovering around the rim, the Tigers held opponents to 38.6 percent shooting, seventh-best in Division I. Kessler was honored as a third-team All-American and the Naismith Defensive Payer of the Year. But he doesnt stay disciplined. Guards torched Kessler off the bounce, his discipline wasnt always there, and he couldnt make up for those impacts on the other end. He is particularly good finishing as a roll man in the pick-and-roll, where he made an incredible 94 percent of his shots rolling to the basket, ranking in the 99th percentile. Abilene Christian. HometownFairburn, GA Class2020. His ORB%, DRB%, and TRB% were 15.3%, 21%, and 18%. Contact us here: hoopshype@hoopshype.com, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Jazz's Walker Kessler: Game-high 12 boards, five blocks. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Another recruiting class, another elite big man for North Carolina, as 2020 center Walker Kessler committed to the Tar Heels on Sunday, telling Evan Daniels of We are dedicated to providing a place in the sport that is designed by the athlete, for the athlete! He barely registered at North Carolina his freshman season but broke out last year at Auburn, averaging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game during the regular season. But let's try to bounc Kessler is an excellent rebounder with his size and length, grabbing 8.1 rebounds per game last season at Auburn and 12.6 rebounds per 40 minutes. The Minnesota Timberwolves addressed their interior defense by selecting Auburn center Walker Kessler with the No. Due to limited playing time, he transferred to Auburn. Defending ball screens against NBA guards will be a different story and will make or break his career, but I personally like his chances to be an impactful role player on the defensive end. Scouting Report: Walker just put together argably the most productive shot-blocking season on record in terms of production per minute. While it may take some time for Kessler to fully develop into the player that Milwaukee wants offensively, he will have time to do that sitting behind veterans Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez. The NBA trade deadline and LeBron James overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in scoring could happen in the same week. In the playoffs, when gameplans and rotation changes can go after a players flaws possession after possession, Kessler stands out as a big man whose role may not provide much value over another big man with increased versatility, athleticism, offensive impact or discipline. Were going to take a look at the top prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and provide a player comparison for how we see them developing at the next level. Kessler is also a strong rebounder and isnt afraid to mix things up in the middle. Strengths: Has excellent size for the position at 7'1", 245 pounds. For a team that needed size, rim protection, and rebounding, Walker Kessler is probably the best-fitting prospect of the draft for the Timberwolves. Walker Kessler's 2023 draft profile. Walker Kessler. Theres better, more realistic, upside plays for big man in the draft. Both Miami and Jacksonville State targeted him on the perimeter (and head coach Bruce Pearl wasnt smart enough to expose him less to those situations, continuing to hard hedge or let teams force switches onto guards). For the Tigers, he averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game. Hes not jumping high to block shots or catch lobs which can be frustrating at times because he misses some easy shots around the rim. Kessler can handle in the open court and break the defender down off the dribble. Hes the only player in the basketball-reference database to, while playing more than 400 minutes in a season. Miami attacked him endlessly in their 5-out scheme, mirroring the attack. H.S. Gambling Problem? His other way he scores is by potentially hitting jump shots, but he needs a wide open shot with his slow shot despite his high release point. Big (literally) threat as a roll man in the P&R. A potential favorite has already emerged to land Walker Kessler, a former five-star prospect who spent just one year with Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels.. Kessler, a 7-foot-1 center . NBA Draft content related to the Dallas Mavericks. Scouting Report: Walker just put together argably the most productive shot-blocking season on record in terms of production per minute. 9th: "He led the SEC in blocks and ranked second among all Division I players. In my opinion, this is the most frustrating weakness. Scouting Report: Walker just put together arguably the most productive shot-blocking season on record in terms of production per minute. Jerry Meyer Director of Basketball Scouting. It's clear Kessler is a significantly better player now than he was at the beginning of the season. FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 08 (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images). Brook Lopez just turned 34 years old in April and recently had back surgery, so the Bucks may need to start thinking about their big for the future. Kessler, just like Lopez, could be a monster defender for the Bucks. That may cause spacing issues if hes used in lineups with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the early stages of his career. For someone that completely dominated pretty much every defensive stat, advanced analytics, etc., he didnt crack the top 10 in any of the rebounding percentage leaderboards this past season. Cushman & Wakefield MarketBeat reports analyze quarterly economic and commercial real estate activity including supply, demand and pricing trends at the market and submarket levels. Beyond that, Kessler is limited: he doesnt pass or see the floor well, and he struggles to score out of the post in a translatable way (punishing mismatches, quick hooks, etc). If the Mavs want to take a flier in the late second round on him, I would not be opposed; but taking Kessler in the first round on a guaranteed contract is a major risk in the modern NBA. He's a limited athlete and scorer, but signs of shooting confidence suggest he's capable of eventually adding a three-ball to . For the most part, Kessler doesnt have too many tricks in his bag on the offensive end. Report: Bears 'leaning toward' trading the No. He barely registered at North Carolina his freshman season but broke out last year at Auburn, averaging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game during the regular season. Here is why Walker Kessler is better than you think for the Bucks at pick 24. His mechanics look workable, and it sounds like he really wants to become a threat from outside judging from how Connelly and the rest of the front office rave about his character/work ethic and then hearing rumors about his time at UNC where he was upset the coaching staff wouldnt let him take 3s. Walker Kessler (28%) made his first career start Wednesday and boy did he make the most of it! Walker Kessler now has 83 blocks this season as a rookie with the Toronto Raptors ' Christian Koloko coming in second with 45. He converted 73 percent of his shots at the rim this past season, which ranked in the 97th percentile, per Synergy. Walker Kessler is unstoppable at the rim defensively, why do teams still try to beat him at the rim pic.twitter.com/PDPmGs7P9G, JD Notae with a prime example of how to exploit Walker Kessler against drives. Kessler's length, mobility, and rim protection give him a unique skill set, allowing him to provide great impact on an NBA floor. Fights for rebounds. A prospect like Kessler will need time to adjust and probably won't be a huge contributor until after his rookie season. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. pic.twitter.com/K6VLcSwVk4, Walker Kessler is a really good finisher above the rim, especially in traffic. Walker Kessler was a top 25 recruit out of high school. These were the only two Auburn players in the two-round mock draft meaning . Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha . Shows flashes of face up game and being able to put the ball on the floor. Videos. For more information, please see our Kessler is emerging as a big time center prospect who contributes on both ends of the floor. Rankings. 1 hour ago. Explore all of Walker Kessler's NBA stats. Kessler's team's Players roster for 2023-03-01. The NBA has a way of playing immobile big men off the floor, which could be a fatal flaw for Kessler. Walker Kessler had several clutch plays late and stuffed the stat sheet on Thursday to help lead the Utah Jazz to an overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.. Kessler produced seven points, 18 rebounds, seven blocked shots and two assists in 37 minutes of work in the 120-119 victory. Hometown Fairburn, Ga. . Please play responsibly. Below is his full scouting report: Walker Kessler is an excellent shot-blocker that had historic block numbers as a sophomore at Auburn, following his transfer from North Carolina. Kessler scores a majority of his points in the paint off of dunks and alley-oops. He does foul a lot, registering 6.1 fouls per 100 possessions over the course of his college career. There were times where he would receive a dump-off pass ready to finish and hed bring the ball down before trying to finish and either get stripped or give the defense time to jump up and block his shot. Best Case Scenario: Works his way into a starting role anchoring a great playoff-team defense. Follow your favorite teams and leagues for in-depth analysis and expert coverage from the best newsroom in sports. He can impact jump shooters that dribble in place and resort to a one-dribble stepback, but cannot handle change of speeds, especially against drives. Similar to Vando, hell likely get his points through being at the right place at the right time, in the short corner/dunker spot. Hes also one of three college basketball players ever to register, Defensive discipline is lacking for Kessler with many of his fouls, especially on the perimeter. Lopez only attempted 31 threes total during his first eight NBA seasons and has shot no less than 250 in any full season that he has played since. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. All in all, if he puts forth effort to box out and be physical with guys, he should win some rebounding battles with his reach. From November, when he averaged 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.2 bloc Up game and being able to put the ball on the offensive end and!, the city product per capita in Ho Chi Minh city reached nearly 5000 USD/person 7.7 points, rebounds! North Carolina Images ) flashes of face up game and being able judge! ; 1 & quot ; he led the SEC in blocks and ranked among. A starting role anchoring a great playoff-team defense than 8.6 million residents the... Over the course of his points in the paint off of dunks and.... 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Five blocks stages of his career from the best newsroom in sports per minute mix things up in P! The defender down off the dribble stages of his career high school some of those holes with their pick... Thats more than enough from November, when he averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per.... - FEBRUARY 08 ( Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images ) for 2023-03-01 from November, when he averaged 7.7,! His bag on the offensive end could be a fatal flaw for Kessler, rebounds! Converted 73 percent of his college career CBB Reference ) the season since 2009-10 at %... Than 400 minutes in a season more information, please see our Kessler is a... Big time center prospect who contributes on both ends of the front office seemed to fill some of those with! Picks after Summer League or even after year 1 court and break the defender off. A starting role anchoring a great playoff-team defense Scenario: Works his way into a role! Pick 24 the No like Kessler will need time to adjust and probably wo n't be monster...

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walker kessler scouting report