In his return to Utah on Oct. 25, Walker Kessler struggled, scoring two points (1-of-2 shooting) and committing four fouls. Afterward, he conceded that he let his emotions overwhelm him and never found a rhythm against the Jazz. Since then, he’s recorded three double-doubles in five outings — all of which have come the past three games — and averaged 2.6 blocks each night.
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat on Monday, he tallied 15 points (7-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds, two assists
and two steals. A day prior in a victory against the Toronto Raptors, he posted 16 points (6-of-6 shooting), 15 rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal.
Through eight games, Kessler’s acquisition has been a smash hit for Los Angeles. He’s averaging 14.4 points (69.8% true shooting), 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.1 steals.
“He’s a big key for us. I think when he plays good, it gives us a way better chance to win,” Luka Dončić told reporters postgame on Monday. “He just need to keep going like this. Like we told him, we have his back. Obviously, he’s not going to play every game great, but what he’s been doing, it’s helping us win a lot.”
The Lakers’ success this season will continue being shepherded by Dončić, Kessler and Austin Reaves. Each of them has kicked off 2026-27 in excellent form, so it’s no surprise Los Angeles finds itself 6-2 withthe league’s second-ranked offense and seventh-best net rating (plus-8.8). When those three share the floor, the Lakers have outscored their opponents by 104 points in 145 minutes while notching a 138.3 offensive rating and 105.8 defensive rating, per NBA.com.
Reaves, the longest-tenured Laker, seems to enjoy playing alongside his new starting center and understands his importance.
“He’s been great. It’s fun to watch,” Reaves said Monday. “Glad to have him on our team and he’s going to continue to get better every single game. But he’s been massive for us this whole year.”
Kessler and the Lakers will look for a third consecutive win Wednesday night on the road against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
