Walker Kessler

[Monster]

Minnesota drafted the 2022 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year -- winning the award over Chet Holmgren and Mark Williams -- who swatted 155 shots last year (4.6 BPG) and we're talking about his hand size and whether or not he'll be able to hang around the perimeter. Come on, guys! Kessler protects the rim, rebounds his position, sets good screens, dives hard to the rim, and does the dirty work on the interior. I think with the more video you watch on him, the more you'll come around on him.

Exactly. I wasn't high on the pick at first, but after watching video I really like it. To be honest, I think he's being undervalued because he looks like a big slow white guy. I saw a guy with pretty good quickness and mobility for a guy his size, a good athlete with some explosiveness. What does mark Williams really have on Kessler? I think his elite ability to block shots will transfer to the next level. I think he can play with kat for stretches and will help kat stay out of foul trouble a lot of nights. We definitely drafted for need here and I think this takes away the pressure to sign a big with the MLE. Now if Tyus ends up being the best value for the MLE we can do that and sign another PF for cheap.

I agree with your take on Kessler. I've now watched 3-4 games that Mark Williams has played in and 2 games Kessler has played in. At this point I actually prefer Kessler. If you are reading this and you haven't had a chance to watch him in a game check him out in a game on YouTube and see what you think.

Keep in mind I wasn't even really completely sold on Mark Williams at #19 if he was there because I saw some flaws in his game and his physicality and I really wasn't sure I wanted to take a big like him at that spot. So the reality is I kinda get why some people feel like this pick is underwhelming. He isn't who I would have picked but we passed on TyTy twice although everyone here knows Moore was a favorite of mine and I personally believe he has upside in a couple different ways. Also while digging into him more I noticed TyTy struggled in some games against better opponents and in important games. His big assist game was against Georgia who looks to be absolutely terrible this year. I also think after learning more that Kessler actually has some offensive upside. Will he reach it? Probably not but on the other hand how many people would be happy to get a Jakob Poetl type player with this pick? I would take that.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

This is a relatively minor thing, but he had the second-highest body fat percentage of all the guys measured at the combine at about 15%.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2022-23&sort=BODY_FAT_PCT&dir=1

I don't say that as a knock (probably most of us are way above 15%!), and a little extra weight might help him hold position in the post. Unless he's gained some of that weight after the season, it was not really apparent on the videos I saw of him.

For comparison, that would be the highest percentage, or at least among the highest percentages, in most seasons. You can adjust the seasons in the tab at the top. Naz was also high at about 14%, though he really lost a lot of that weight. I checked for Kevin Love, but he must not have done the combine that year (2008).

Again, not a big deal, but I would like to see him get on a plan to bring that body fat percentage down somewhat and also hit the weights and build up a bit of muscle. He does seem to have relatively stout hips, which I think should help. I think part of why Naz isn't the post defender we'd like him to be is that he seems to have a high center of gravity.

FWIW, Moore seems to have some pretty wide hands for a guy his size, although the length doesn't stand out as much. I guess he has a big thumb and pinky finger? Again, probably not all that important. It's probably more important than Moore's wingspan is also disproportionately wider compared to his height. It's crazy the amount of info publicly available on these guys.

[DNatagal]

How many lob dunks are given up by the Wolves compared to how many the have themselves? If all this guy does on offense is set crushing picks, roll to the rim and finish with a dunk, then go back and play stout defense, who does he sound like?

[Lipoli390]

This is a relatively minor thing, but he had the second-highest body fat percentage of all the guys measured at the combine at about 15%.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2022-23&sort=BODY_FAT_PCT&dir=1

I don't say that as a knock (probably most of us are way above 15%!), and a little extra weight might help him hold position in the post. Unless he's gained some of that weight after the season, it was not really apparent on the videos I saw of him.

For comparison, that would be the highest percentage, or at least among the highest percentages, in most seasons. You can adjust the seasons in the tab at the top. Naz was also high at about 14%, though he really lost a lot of that weight. I checked for Kevin Love, but he must not have done the combine that year (2008).

Again, not a big deal, but I would like to see him get on a plan to bring that body fat percentage down somewhat and also hit the weights and build up a bit of muscle. He does seem to have relatively stout hips, which I think should help. I think part of why Naz isn't the post defender we'd like him to be is that he seems to have a high center of gravity.

FWIW, Moore seems to have some pretty wide hands for a guy his size, although the length doesn't stand out as much. I guess he has a big thumb and pinky finger? Again, probably not all that important. It's probably more important than Moore's wingspan is also disproportionately wider compared to his height. It's crazy the amount of info publicly available on these guys.

Drew - I mentioned his body-fat percentage in my last post in this thread. I agree that it's an opportunity, not a problem. He should be able to cut that percentage in half down to the typical range for an NBA player while at the same time building muscle and not losing a lot of weight. We all saw how much quicker Naz became when he trimmed his fat. Kessler has great size, good timing and coordination and what looks like a high basketball IQ. If he can get just a step quicker by cutting his body fat percentage in half, that would be a big deal.

Typically, players don't get bigger, faster or more athletic when they get to the NBA. Kessler doesn't need to get bigger since he already has tremendous size. And he's one of the few who should be able to get significantly quicker by reducing his body fat, which is unusually high for a player coming into the NBA. Again, like you, I'm not knocking him for it. He certainly doesn't look fat and for most 15% body fat is great. But it's an opportunity he has to improve physically that most players coming to the NBA don't have. Like most, he can get stronger and improve his shooting. Kessler can also improve his quickness.

[Q-is-here]

How many lob dunks are given up by the Wolves compared to how many the have themselves? If all this guy does on offense is set crushing picks, roll to the rim and finish with a dunk, then go back and play stout defense, who does he sound like?

It's an important role on a complete team and one we simply haven't had for a while. Even though Dieng could block some shots, he had some just terrible fundamentals defensively (turning his hips and not staying square, leaving his feet, being top heavy and unbalanced, etc.).

The fact that Walker Kessler put up an insane block rate (19%!!!) while on the floor in a top conference has to mean something. Even if he ultimately just becomes a productive backup that does the things you describe for 15-18 MPG, that is not something to scoff at. I just worry how long it will take for him to learn the NBA game and gain the refs' respect.

[Monster]

This is a relatively minor thing, but he had the second-highest body fat percentage of all the guys measured at the combine at about 15%.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2022-23&sort=BODY_FAT_PCT&dir=1

I don't say that as a knock (probably most of us are way above 15%!), and a little extra weight might help him hold position in the post. Unless he's gained some of that weight after the season, it was not really apparent on the videos I saw of him.

For comparison, that would be the highest percentage, or at least among the highest percentages, in most seasons. You can adjust the seasons in the tab at the top. Naz was also high at about 14%, though he really lost a lot of that weight. I checked for Kevin Love, but he must not have done the combine that year (2008).

Again, not a big deal, but I would like to see him get on a plan to bring that body fat percentage down somewhat and also hit the weights and build up a bit of muscle. He does seem to have relatively stout hips, which I think should help. I think part of why Naz isn't the post defender we'd like him to be is that he seems to have a high center of gravity.

FWIW, Moore seems to have some pretty wide hands for a guy his size, although the length doesn't stand out as much. I guess he has a big thumb and pinky finger? Again, probably not all that important. It's probably more important than Moore's wingspan is also disproportionately wider compared to his height. It's crazy the amount of info publicly available on these guys.

Drew - I mentioned his body-fat percentage in my last post in this thread. I agree that it's an opportunity, not a problem. He should be able to cut that percentage in half down to the typical range for an NBA player while at the same time building muscle and not losing a lot of weight. We all saw how much quicker Naz became when he trimmed his fat. Kessler has great size, good timing and coordination and what looks like a high basketball IQ. If he can get just a step quicker by cutting his body fat percentage in half, that would be a big deal.

Typically, players don't get bigger, faster or more athletic when they get to the NBA. Kessler doesn't need to get bigger since he already has tremendous size. And he's one of the few who should be able to get significantly quicker by reducing his body fat, which is unusually high for a player coming into the NBA. Again, like you, I'm not knocking him for it. He certainly doesn't look fat and for most 15% body fat is great. But it's an opportunity he has to improve physically that most players coming to the NBA don't have. Like most, he can get stronger and improve his shooting. Kessler can also improve his quickness.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago when we were having this body composition conversation about Liddell. Naz's weight at the combine was 254. He obviously has changes his body and while we don't know what his body fat percentage is he looks certainly more fit. His listed weight is now 264. Naz might be an exception to the rule that players don't increase their athletic ability once they get into the league. Naz turns 23 in a few weeks. He is a success story in a lot of ways and it possible (not saying it's likely) even physically he isn't done improving. Finch has talked about Naz being a guy that needs to improve his core. I also think some guys just need to figure out how to use their body. You don't have to be powerful and stout to have success as a big defensively.

Kessler turns 21 in a few months he is still a fairly young guy and his body can and like will be developed in some way. He kinda still looks like a very large kid. lol How his body develops over time and how he learns to use his physical advantages will be part of why he is successful. After watching him in a couple games I think he is above average in both especially for where he was picked in the draft.

As for Moore he weighs 217 lbs and I think he might be able to guard PGs. He also plays pretty tough if get gets switched onto a big they don't just go through him. He is undersized for a SF but as a switchable Swiss Army knife type guy I think he can hold up in a lot of situations. Just for comparison he has somewhat similar measurements to Iggy a little shorter but longer wingspan so very similar length but much shorter standing reach. That's sort of the type of guy I see Wendell Carter being at his peak "upside" as Iggy, Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart type guy who guys a whole bunch of shit including being able to actually initiate offense and play high level D while doing it including being able to guard a bunch of positions. That's not easy to become that type of guy. In terms of upside that type of player is a very good one and I think Moore has basis in terms of actual skills and physical attributes to be that type of guy so I think most people would be thrilled to get a guy like that late in the draft.

[60WinTim]

I have to admit, I had sweet dreams last night with visions of Walker patrolling the paint for the Wolves! :D

[Lipoli390]

This is a relatively minor thing, but he had the second-highest body fat percentage of all the guys measured at the combine at about 15%.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2022-23&sort=BODY_FAT_PCT&dir=1

I don't say that as a knock (probably most of us are way above 15%!), and a little extra weight might help him hold position in the post. Unless he's gained some of that weight after the season, it was not really apparent on the videos I saw of him.

For comparison, that would be the highest percentage, or at least among the highest percentages, in most seasons. You can adjust the seasons in the tab at the top. Naz was also high at about 14%, though he really lost a lot of that weight. I checked for Kevin Love, but he must not have done the combine that year (2008).

Again, not a big deal, but I would like to see him get on a plan to bring that body fat percentage down somewhat and also hit the weights and build up a bit of muscle. He does seem to have relatively stout hips, which I think should help. I think part of why Naz isn't the post defender we'd like him to be is that he seems to have a high center of gravity.

FWIW, Moore seems to have some pretty wide hands for a guy his size, although the length doesn't stand out as much. I guess he has a big thumb and pinky finger? Again, probably not all that important. It's probably more important than Moore's wingspan is also disproportionately wider compared to his height. It's crazy the amount of info publicly available on these guys.

Drew - I mentioned his body-fat percentage in my last post in this thread. I agree that it's an opportunity, not a problem. He should be able to cut that percentage in half down to the typical range for an NBA player while at the same time building muscle and not losing a lot of weight. We all saw how much quicker Naz became when he trimmed his fat. Kessler has great size, good timing and coordination and what looks like a high basketball IQ. If he can get just a step quicker by cutting his body fat percentage in half, that would be a big deal.

Typically, players don't get bigger, faster or more athletic when they get to the NBA. Kessler doesn't need to get bigger since he already has tremendous size. And he's one of the few who should be able to get significantly quicker by reducing his body fat, which is unusually high for a player coming into the NBA. Again, like you, I'm not knocking him for it. He certainly doesn't look fat and for most 15% body fat is great. But it's an opportunity he has to improve physically that most players coming to the NBA don't have. Like most, he can get stronger and improve his shooting. Kessler can also improve his quickness.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago when we were having this body composition conversation about Liddell. Naz's weight at the combine was 254. He obviously has changes his body and while we don't know what his body fat percentage is he looks certainly more fit. His listed weight is now 264. Naz might be an exception to the rule that players don't increase their athletic ability once they get into the league. Naz turns 23 in a few weeks. He is a success story in a lot of ways and it possible (not saying it's likely) even physically he isn't done improving. Finch has talked about Naz being a guy that needs to improve his core. I also think some guys just need to figure out how to use their body. You don't have to be powerful and stout to have success as a big defensively.

Kessler turns 21 in a few months he is still a fairly young guy and his body can and like will be developed in some way. He kinda still looks like a very large kid. lol How his body develops over time and how he learns to use his physical advantages will be part of why he is successful. After watching him in a couple games I think he is above average in both especially for where he was picked in the draft.

As for Moore he weighs 217 lbs and I think he might be able to guard PGs. He also plays pretty tough if get gets switched onto a big they don't just go through him. He is undersized for a SF but as a switchable Swiss Army knife type guy I think he can hold up in a lot of situations. Just for comparison he has somewhat similar measurements to Iggy a little shorter but longer wingspan so very similar length but much shorter standing reach. That's sort of the type of guy I see Wendell Carter being at his peak "upside" as Iggy, Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart type guy who guys a whole bunch of shit including being able to actually initiate offense and play high level D while doing it including being able to guard a bunch of positions. That's not easy to become that type of guy. In terms of upside that type of player is a very good one and I think Moore has basis in terms of actual skills and physical attributes to be that type of guy so I think most people would be thrilled to get a guy like that late in the draft.

No doubt that Naz is an exception to that rule, Monster. And I think it's because he came into the League with an unusually high body fat composition. I'm sure you've noticed that just about every draft prospect every year has a body fat percentage in the single digits. I can't recall Naz Reid's percentage, but I'm sure it was well into the teens. We've all read the reports about how he's dramatically changed his body - likely replacing fat with muscle - and getting his body fat down into the typical range for an NBA player. Kessler doesn't look nearly as fat or slow as Naz looked coming out of college, but his body fat composition of around 15% is quite high for an NBA player. So again, I see Kessler as one of those rare prospects who has a very good chance of increasing his quickness and agility. That's exciting.

[Monster]

This is a relatively minor thing, but he had the second-highest body fat percentage of all the guys measured at the combine at about 15%.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2022-23&sort=BODY_FAT_PCT&dir=1

I don't say that as a knock (probably most of us are way above 15%!), and a little extra weight might help him hold position in the post. Unless he's gained some of that weight after the season, it was not really apparent on the videos I saw of him.

For comparison, that would be the highest percentage, or at least among the highest percentages, in most seasons. You can adjust the seasons in the tab at the top. Naz was also high at about 14%, though he really lost a lot of that weight. I checked for Kevin Love, but he must not have done the combine that year (2008).

Again, not a big deal, but I would like to see him get on a plan to bring that body fat percentage down somewhat and also hit the weights and build up a bit of muscle. He does seem to have relatively stout hips, which I think should help. I think part of why Naz isn't the post defender we'd like him to be is that he seems to have a high center of gravity.

FWIW, Moore seems to have some pretty wide hands for a guy his size, although the length doesn't stand out as much. I guess he has a big thumb and pinky finger? Again, probably not all that important. It's probably more important than Moore's wingspan is also disproportionately wider compared to his height. It's crazy the amount of info publicly available on these guys.

Drew - I mentioned his body-fat percentage in my last post in this thread. I agree that it's an opportunity, not a problem. He should be able to cut that percentage in half down to the typical range for an NBA player while at the same time building muscle and not losing a lot of weight. We all saw how much quicker Naz became when he trimmed his fat. Kessler has great size, good timing and coordination and what looks like a high basketball IQ. If he can get just a step quicker by cutting his body fat percentage in half, that would be a big deal.

Typically, players don't get bigger, faster or more athletic when they get to the NBA. Kessler doesn't need to get bigger since he already has tremendous size. And he's one of the few who should be able to get significantly quicker by reducing his body fat, which is unusually high for a player coming into the NBA. Again, like you, I'm not knocking him for it. He certainly doesn't look fat and for most 15% body fat is great. But it's an opportunity he has to improve physically that most players coming to the NBA don't have. Like most, he can get stronger and improve his shooting. Kessler can also improve his quickness.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago when we were having this body composition conversation about Liddell. Naz's weight at the combine was 254. He obviously has changes his body and while we don't know what his body fat percentage is he looks certainly more fit. His listed weight is now 264. Naz might be an exception to the rule that players don't increase their athletic ability once they get into the league. Naz turns 23 in a few weeks. He is a success story in a lot of ways and it possible (not saying it's likely) even physically he isn't done improving. Finch has talked about Naz being a guy that needs to improve his core. I also think some guys just need to figure out how to use their body. You don't have to be powerful and stout to have success as a big defensively.

Kessler turns 21 in a few months he is still a fairly young guy and his body can and like will be developed in some way. He kinda still looks like a very large kid. lol How his body develops over time and how he learns to use his physical advantages will be part of why he is successful. After watching him in a couple games I think he is above average in both especially for where he was picked in the draft.

As for Moore he weighs 217 lbs and I think he might be able to guard PGs. He also plays pretty tough if get gets switched onto a big they don't just go through him. He is undersized for a SF but as a switchable Swiss Army knife type guy I think he can hold up in a lot of situations. Just for comparison he has somewhat similar measurements to Iggy a little shorter but longer wingspan so very similar length but much shorter standing reach. That's sort of the type of guy I see Wendell Carter being at his peak "upside" as Iggy, Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart type guy who guys a whole bunch of shit including being able to actually initiate offense and play high level D while doing it including being able to guard a bunch of positions. That's not easy to become that type of guy. In terms of upside that type of player is a very good one and I think Moore has basis in terms of actual skills and physical attributes to be that type of guy so I think most people would be thrilled to get a guy like that late in the draft.

No doubt that Naz is an exception to that rule, Monster. And I think it's because he came into the League with an unusually high body fat composition. I'm sure you've noticed that just about every draft prospect every year has a body fat percentage in the single digits. I can't recall Naz Reid's percentage, but I'm sure it was well into the teens. We've all read the reports about how he's dramatically changed his body - likely replacing fat with muscle - and getting his body fat down into the typical range for an NBA player. Kessler doesn't look nearly as fat or slow as Naz looked coming out of college, but his body fat composition of around 15% is quite high for an NBA player. So again, I see Kessler as one of those rare prospects who has a very good chance of increasing his quickness and agility. That's exciting.

Yes and what Kessler has that Naz doesn't is significantly more length. You rightly quote McHale saying that you don't block shots with your head but with your hands. Still Kessler is around 4 inches taller (barefoot) than Naz and having to look over a guy's head and shoulders that is that much taller is not a small thing. I know there is only a couple inches separating them in terms of standing reach but I'm pretty sure Kessler's overall size will be pretty obvious even in the NBA.

To me Watching Kessler he has plenty of athletic ability the question is more about whether or not he has the defensive IQ to be really good in that area. I'm not questioning that he has it but that's the reason he won't be successful not whether or not he can guard a PG on a switch.

Offensively you already posted an article where it was suggested he had more skills in that area. Below is a video from 2 years ago where he talks through various plays in high school and then they do a couple drills afterwards. I'm not suggesting he is an awesome shooter but he looks fine although HS and working out is different than games. I tried to find some draft workout videos but I didn't find any. One thing I noticed in this video (didn't watch all of it) is that he is always kinda moving around in his chair. He kinda plays like that too he typically has his feet moving a bit and so he plays with some energy. He seems like a pretty good kid.

There is also a video I included of all is 3 point attempts from this season. Some of them look pretty bad but he generally doesn't look like he is muscling them he can get them there even when he looks pretty disjointed in shooting them. I think it's a bit encouraging that he was even taking them averaging 1.5 per game and he didn't play big minutes. I'm not expecting him to be a 3 point threat someday but I also don't think it's completely out of this world that he gets there. Even if he can't become a legit 3 point threat it seems like he has potential to do more than basically just take shots in the paint. It would be nice to see his FT% increase though. It's worth remembering he didn't play a whole lot his freshman year so there is a chance for growth and also maybe we should as you have said be patient with him. He might not be ready to contribute much for a season. It will be interesting to see him play in the summer league where guards tend to do better and bigs often don't. Of course Naz ended up showing ability quicker than expected although at the NBA level he was given an opportunity. Kessler obviously was considered a much better prospect so the hopes are initially higher.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W28apF2T8ig

All 3 point shots this season.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oGRYVkdm2Ng

[Lipoli390]

Thanks for posting, Monster. I'll check out those videos. Taking about the 3" difference in standing reach between Kessler and Naz, I'll offer two thoughts. First, 3" can make a big difference between blocking or altering shots and getting scored on in the paint. Second, Naz is actually a good shot-blocker. Unfortunately, Naz is a poor defender and that's a function of his lack of lateral quickness and perhaps defensive instincts.

Kessler doesn't have to be good at switching out on guards to be a valuable contributor to the Wolves. But he needs to be quick and nimble enough to block or at least alter shots in the paint at a high level. If you watch the Spinelli video you see Kessler struggling to block or alter shots of the quicker more crafty guards and wings he faced. He'll be facing guards and wings of that caliber on a regular basis. So I think he'll need to get a bit quicker to succeed in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, Kessler isn't a slow plodder. But I do think he needs to get a bit quicker to be the paint defender we want him to be. The good news, as we've been discussing, is that he appears to be one of the few players coming into the NBA with significant excess body fat that he can trim and thereby make himself significantly quicker and even improve his verticality. We've seen what Naz can do as a shot-blocker in limited minutes. It's exciting to think about what Kessler, with his 3" of additional length and more imposing overall body might be able to do, especially if he gets even a little bit quicker, bouncier and more nimble. I think the IQ, character and work ethic are there as a solid foundation for him to improve.

I agree with you that it's definitely possible Kessler substantially improves his perimeter shooter. His college coach seems to believe it's very possible. If Kessler improves his quickness/ability a little by cutting his body fat in half and becomes a good perimeter shooter with 3-point range through hard work and repetition, then it's fair to say Connelly might have hit a home run with this pick.