Walker Kessler has only been through one day of training camp with the Lakers, but he has already seen enough to make a big prediction about their defense.
Los Angeles enters the season with a dramatically different roster following LeBron James’ departure, and Kessler believes the team’s new-look defense could help turn it into a genuine title contender.
“Listen, I think we’re going to be a nasty defensive team,” Kessler said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think people aren’t taking into account how good our perimeter defense is going to be. A lot of guys are very smart on the perimeter and positionally can play really good defense. We have guys who are just ball hawks.”
Defense has been a major focus early in camp after the Lakers finished 20th in defensive efficiency last season.
Head coach JJ Redick said his first priority was to “establish our defensive principles,” and he was encouraged by what he saw from the team’s wings.
“They understood the assignment today,” Redick said. “That was exciting. They set the tone for us defensively. There was a lot of physicality, a lot of grabbing and holding, and a lot of disruption without gambling.”
Kessler could be the biggest piece of that defensive transformation. The 7-foot-2 center arrived from Utah this offseason after averaging 2.4 blocks per game across his first four NBA seasons.
“The paint is kind of closed when [Kessler] is on the court,” Luka Doncic said.
Los Angeles has also surrounded Doncic and Austin Reaves with several defensive options, including Jarred Vanderbilt, Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes and Ziaire Williams.
Kessler believes that combination can make life considerably easier for him around the rim.
“Having those guys that can steal the ball … [and] when they do get beat, be able to recover, it makes my job a lot easier,” Kessler said. “It’s a lot easier to block a shot when a dude has someone on his hip instead of an open lane towards the basket.”
And when it comes to how far this Lakers team can go, Kessler isn’t backing away from championship expectations.
“I think we have a lot of great tools and versatility,” Kessler said. “The guys are already getting along. Connection makes championship teams.”