Comparing Jazz Center Walker Kessler to Rudy Gobert's Early Career
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is coming off a phenomenal rookie season in which he over-performed in every area. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and came in third place in the Rookie of the Year voting.
Kessler only began to crack the Jazz rotation around the midway point of the season and still managed to become an impactful force. His averages were out of this world for a first-year big man, and he eventually cemented himself as Utah's starting center.
Going into the 2023-2024 season, Kessler will be under greater pressure, as opponents will scout him more heavily and he'll have more pressure to perform. Kessler's performance on the court is similar to the Jazz legend that came before him — Rudy Gobert.
Coincidentally, Kessler was one of the many pieces exchanged in Utah's trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. It might not be fair to compare Kessler to Gobert, but the two are similar in so many ways.
The following stats are Gobert’s first four seasons in the league. As you can see, Gobert didn't get meaningful minutes till his second season, where his stats stack up well against Kessler's first year.
If we just analyze the growth of Gobert from Year 2 to Year 3, we see slight upticks in points, rebounds, and minutes but overall, he stayed pretty consistent under the similar pressures Kessler will face in his second NBA season.
Kessler only averaged 23 minutes per game last year, and so naturally, that number will be larger just due to his growth with the team. A successful outcome of the 2023-2024 season would be for Kessler to end the season averaging a double-double.
This would be no mean feat, but considering how close he is already, it's an achievable leap. Kessler is a different player than Gobert, and his adaptability to the game has already proven to be greater, especially compared to Gobert's early seasons.
Kessler may never become the defensive stalwart that Gobert was, but he's on track to becoming one of the top centers in the league.
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