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Recapping Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler's rookie seasons

Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith put up solid numbers in their rookie campaigns.
Andrew Stefaniak|
Recapping Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler's rookie seasons
Recapping Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler's rookie seasons

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Utah JazzHouston Rockets

Jabari Smith (3rd) and Walker Kessler (22nd) were both first-round picks in the 2022 draft. Smith landed in Houston while Kessler was shopped a few times but ended up with the Utah Jazz. 

They both put up solid numbers in their rookie seasons for their respective teams. 

Let's re-cap Smith and Kessler's rookie seasons. 

Jabari Smith: 12.8pts/7.2reb/1.3ast/0.9blk

Smith had a not so hot start to his rookie year that had people quickly bringing up the word "bust." After the All-Star break, Smith really began to get a feel for the game and put up better numbers. He played suffocating defense the entire season and could be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate down the road. Smith made multiple clutch shots this season, proving that he has the dog in him everyone knew he did coming out of Auburn. In his second year, Smith will be a scary sight. 

Highlights

What Smith needs to improve on next season

Smith's defense was outstanding this season, and there isn't much, if anything, to fix on that end of the court. The only thing Smith needs to improve on in his second NBA season is his efficiency from the field. He would love to get his field goal percentage (40.8) and three points percentage (30.7) up, but that shouldn't be a hard ask as he now has 79 NBA games under his belt. I still believe that Smith has All-Star potential down the road and think he will improve vastly on the offensive side of things next season. 

Rookie Year Accolades 

Walker "Blocker" Kessler: 9.2pts/8.4reb/0.9ast/2.3blk

Kessler was part of the Rudy Gobert trade that occurred this past summer, sending him, some other players, and a boatload of first-round picks to the Utah Jazz for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The trade bit the Timberwolves in the behind, as Kessler had a better season than Gobert. Kessler quickly adjusted to the NBA, and his presence lurking the paint caused a lot of problems for opposing players driving the basketball. Kessler finished fourth in the NBA, swatting 2.3 blocks per game, and had the best field goal percentage in the NBA at 72%. The offense picked up for Kessler as the season went on. The former Auburn big man will quickly become one of the best in the league. 

Highlights

What Kessler needs to improve on next season

Next season there are two things Kessler needs to improve on. The first is shooting free throws. He shot 51.6% from the charity stripe his rookie year, which will need to increase significantly next season. Lastly, he needs to be more selfish on offense. Kessler would fill up the scorebook when he was looking to score, leading to multiple 20-point games. If he looks to score more next season, it will be no surprise if he averages 16+ points in his second NBA season. 

Rookie Year Accolades 

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Andrew Stefaniak
ANDREW STEFANIAK

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