![]() Kessler’s massive defensive impact is evident in both his numbers and his team’s stats. (Sidebar: The all-time great defensive big men, like Anthony Davis and Hakeem Olajuwon, use a contest technique where they put one arm up vertically and leave the other one on the side to try and deflect/intercept any laydown passes, like this ). This is a smart tactic, but it does come with a tradeoff of limiting his steal rate (19th percentile among centers in steals per 100, per NBA.com). ![]() ![]() That way, referees can clearly see that he isn’t initiating contact with either his body or arms. Kessler accomplishes this feat by contesting shots vertically with both his hands straight up. His 4.8 fouls per 100 possessions is the exact same rate as the Minnesota Timberwolves current starting center (hint: the other name in the title!). He’s also able to contest a high volume of shots without fouling himself out of games. This trio of slashers has built up a reputation as some of the most fearless drivers in the game, and that reputation went right out the window when they looked up and saw Utah’s Gedo Statue standing in their path. So, the best practice is to make sure that shot around the rim never even exists.ĭoes Kessler have this element to his rim protection? Why don’t we just ask All-Stars Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, and Anthony Edwards to testify on the matter. No matter how well you smother someone, if that shot goes up and it isn’t blocked, there’s a chance that it goes through the cylinder, and then all your hard work will be for nothing. The real elite defensive anchors are the ones who can deter would-be penetrators from attempting those shots altogether. Kessler is in the 95th percentile in blocks per 100 possessions among centers (minimum 25 games played). So much so that he’s prone to biting on pump fakes. ![]() (Sidebar: A minor nitpick, but Kessler can be a bit too eager to contest shots at times. On top of that, Coach Will Hardy and the Jazz typically deploy Kessler in a deep drop coverage to enable him to stay close to the paint and protect their inner shell from any potential threats. Like Brook Lopez, Kessler has mastered the subtle tricks for navigating the 2.9 area without being called for a defensive three-second violation. The more darts you have to throw, the better chance you have of hitting a bullseye. They are always at every social function. We all have that friend who always seems to be picking up dates. First, he’s massive (7’1, 245 pounds, per Basketball Reference), and being a large object is incredibly helpful when it comes to safeguarding the paint.įor the second key, think of it this way. There are two major keys to his proficiency in this area. And if you never heard the saying “no man is an island,” you surely have heard the maxim that “defense wins championships.”Īnyway, despite not even being 82 games into his NBA career, Kessler is already one of the premier rim protectors in basketball. To frame it in simpler terms, the better your team is at protecting the rim, the better chance they have at being good at defense. Stephen Shea deduced that a team’s ability to protect the rim was the most influential factor that contributed to a team’s defensive rating. In his research for the book “ Basketball Analytics: Spatial Tracking,” Dr. In fact, Kessler has been so good that he’s risen to third in Rookie of the Year odds and is garnering comparisons to the watchful guardian who captained the Jazz’s interior defense for nearly a decade.īut is such praise really warranted? Is this just another case of fans getting too excited about the unknown potential of a young prospect? Or is Kessler Walker really as good as the generational defender his advocates compare him to? The Good His mission was aided by the surprise play of rookie big man Walker Kessler. Lauri Markkanen deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the team’s success this season, as his first campaign in Utah marked his ascension into Lauri Legend.īut as the old adage goes, “no man is an island,” and Markkanen’s crusade was no different. And as a result,they were prepared for a grim 2022-23 campaign.įlash forward to the end of March, and while the team appears to have bowed out of the playoff race, they were in the hunt until they decided they didn’t want to be anymore. When the Utah Jazz traded away their two franchise cornerstones, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, they dug their own grave, and they knew it too.
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