Utah Jazz's Walker Kessler Speaks Out After Strong Preseason Debut

The Utah Jazz were able to put together a win in their final preseason game of their four-game slate, taking down the Portland Trail Blazers in a narrow 132-129 victory–– a night where Walker Kessler made his presence felt during his preseason debut.

In 26 minutes filling back into his role as the starting five, Kessler made an impact all across the board. He had 14 points, ten rebounds, and an eye-catching eight assists to put together a winning effort in his first game back from a lingering shoulder injury.

It's that eight assists portion on the stat sheet emerges as the biggest surprise of the night for Kessler. The defensive anchor and five-man in the middle showcased some major strides as a facilitator and a passer, ultimately leading the game in assists, and provides some excitement for what that could lead into once the regular season finally arrives.

Following the game, Kessler attributed a bit of that step forward to one of the Jazz's new offseason additions to the roster: Jusuf Nurkic, a savvy veteran passer at his position, and someone he's been able to watch in practice and get a sense of how to make plays as the five-man.

"I think watching [Jusuf Nurkic helped], and even before watching Nurk this offseason, I was told that we're going to play a lot more flash game," Kessler said. "Just continuing to make those plays. In my head space– I wouldn't say 'not care', but just, 'don't be afraid to throw those passes."

Lo and behold, Kessler's taking notes from Nurkic behind the scenes, and the Jazz's schematic shift played well to their favor, leading to a near-triple-double for their big man, and even a career-high in assists, albeit in a preseason showing.

"Tonight, it worked out, and it was fun," Kessler continued. "I enjoyed making plays... I don't think I've had ten [assists] before. So, I think eight might be the new number."

Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) makes a slam dunk during the second half over Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

If you were wondering about Kessler's previous career-high in assists, his best mark in the NBA is six, put together this past March against the Boston Celtics.

This time around, those eight assists in a preseason bout won't be totally official for Kessler's career numbers. But regardless, it acts a taste of the development fans could expect from their fourth-year center heading into this season with the Jazz.

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