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After only playing five games last season because of season-ending shoulder surgery, Walker Kessler was expected to have a few cobwebs this preseason.
They didn’t show in his preseason debut when Kessler shined with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in the first half of the Lakers’ 101-89 exhibition loss to the Warriors on Tuesday.
But Nikola Jokic unearthed them.
Walker finished with six points on 2-for-8 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots and one steal in 31 minutes in the Lakers’ 121-106 exhibition loss to the Nuggets on Friday.
Meanwhile, Jokic, a three-time MVP and one-time champion with the Nuggets in 2023, poured in 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field, 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, six rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
“It knocked off a lot of rust,” Kessler said of playing against Jokic, flashing a smile. “Yeah, there was a pile in my locker. There’s a reason why he is who he is. He’s arguably the best big in the league and best player in the league. I would argue Luka’s better, obviously, for obvious reasons. But, yeah, he’s an exceptional player and for a preseason game, getting a regular-season game feel in that first half was really good for me and I think it was good for the team.”
Kessler, who suffered a torn left labrum in November, went 347 days without playing basketball before this preseason.
The Lakers acquired him this offseason in a sign-and-trade with Utah, giving up two future unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps on top of a four-year, $130 million contract.
Kessler is considered one of the league’s elite rim protectors and rebounders. In the five games he played last season, he averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks.
In 2024-2025, Kessler contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, per NBA.com, which tied him for fifth most in the league.
Against the Warriors, Kessler showed the type of difference he can make for the Lakers, who were 20th in defensive rating last season.
In the 16 minutes Kessler was on the court? The Lakers outscored the Warriors by 15 points. In the 32 minutes he was on the bench? They were outscored by 27.
The challenge level was dialed up in intensity against Jokic, who finished third last season in MVP voting, ahead of the Lakers’ season opener against the Warriors on Wednesday.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve really competed against someone like that. I mean since November basically of last year,” Kessler said. “So definitely it was nice to get that in before it actually counts.”