Walker Kessler
Oct 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler (14) during pregame warmups against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images
Preseason did not provide the chance to build much continuity for the Los Angeles Lakers as numerous key players missed games due to minor injuries. Friday night was the Lakers’ final preseason game though, and it provided a chance for Walker Kessler to play with both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the first time.
The results varied in their first game, which was to be expected against a quality Nuggets team. After the loss, Kessler acknowledged there will be a transitional period playing with Doncic and Reaves, but he still enjoyed their on-court time together.
“There’s obviously a transitional period playing with both of Luka and AR on the floor together,” Kessler said. “Kind of what I was saying before, kind of about blitzing ball screens and playing out of that pocket. We started to get it, I started to get it a little bit. Obviously Luka and AR are pretty used to that. But yeah, they’re such good offensive players and our ability to share the ball was fantastic, so it was a lot of fun.”
An area for Kessler to work on going into the regular season will be playing out of the short roll considering how often both Doncic and Reaves will be blitzed. That will force Kessler to become a playmaker, which is an area of his game that still needs improvement.
The 25-year-old center found himself in positions where he either needed to make a quick move to the basket or swing it to the open man. That decision needs to be made instantly and Kessler hesitated in certain instances, resulting in a poor shooting night.
As time passes, the Auburn product can manage those situations better to position himself in scoring positions when there is a man advantage. All of that comes with repitition and hopefully the Lakers trio finds their way sooner rather than later.
Walker Kessler appreciates Nikola Jokic helping him knock off rust
After nearly not playing an NBA game in over a calendar year, Kessler was welcomed back with defending three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets star center put up 17 points on one missed shot with six rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes.
Granted, Jokic did have six turnovers, but he looked in control when he was out there. And Kessler jokingly expressed appreciation to the eight-time All-NBA big man for knocking off the rust for him ahead of Opening Night on Wednesday.
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