Lakers center Walker Kessler made a strong first impression in his preseason debut Tuesday, finishing with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, nine rebounds, one block and one steal in L.A.'s 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors. He played only in the first half.
"I mean, it was a lot of fun being out there again," Kessler said. "It's been so long. Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest. But getting out there and just playing with the guys, it was a blast."
Kessler had not appeared in an NBA game for 347 days, since Oct. 31 of last season with the Utah Jazz, before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. After an offseason sign-and-trade to L.A., he jammed his left pinkie finger in training camp and sat out the Lakers' first three preseason games. In the 16 minutes he was on the court, the Lakers outscored the Warriors by 15. In the 32 minutes he was not, Golden State outscored L.A. by 27.
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised the effort. "I think he's a great fit for our team," Redick said. "Just really, really good first half from him." Redick said the word he has used with Kessler is "relentless," referring to his motor on both ends of the floor. Kessler said that means crashing every time and being a presence in the paint.
Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili called Kessler an amazing rim protector, while guard Austin Reaves, who led L.A. with 28 points and seven assists, said Kessler created several open looks for the team's shooters.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing