Walker Kessler: Lakers Can Be ‘Nasty’ Team Defensively

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to play a game with their new-look roster, leaving speculation and prior performance as the only way to evaluate the team. The consensus surrounding L.A. is that — despite the addition of defensive stalwart center Walker Kessler — they are going to be an elite offense and a poor defense.

This is in part due to an over-reliance on non-elite defenders like Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili to play larger defensive roles. However, Kessler, who is going to be the team’s anchor in the paint, doesn’t see it that way, and has high hopes for what the Lakers can be on that end of the floor.

“Listen, I think we’re gonna be a nasty defensive team,” Kessler said after the team’s first practice. “I’m just being honest. These guys hound the ball on the perimeter and I think [Kevon Looney’s] mind and his positioning on defense is elite too. We’re gonna be really good defensively. We have a lot of, a lot of defensive tools.”

Kessler elaborated on why he feels the Lakers are being underrated defensively, and used the moment to give credit to some of the team’s guards and wings.

“I think people aren’t taking into account how good our perimeter defense is gonna be with some of these guys. I’m just being completely honest. I just think that a lot of our guys are very smart on the perimeter and positionally can play really good defense. And then we got guys that are just ballhawks that just hound the ball. So I don’t think people are taking that into account as much.”

Head coach JJ Redick has previously hinted that this team will play a different defensive scheme than his previous two rosters, mainly due to finally having more defensive players he trusts. They won’t have to switch everything and confuse the offense, because it seems Redick has a similar belief as Kessler in his roster.

Redick has shown in his first two seasons that he is capable of creating a defense that is greater than the sum of its parts, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t do that again. Hopefully, Kessler’s confidence is seen through when games actually begin, because this Lakers team will go as far as their defense will allow them to go.

Walker Kessler fired up by first speech from JJ Redick

Kessler, for the first time in his career, is playing for a team that wants to win now. He had spent the first four years of his career on a tanking Utah Jazz team. So he was instantly fired up by the opening speech from Redick on the first day of practice.

“I don’t know, but in film he had us, I was ready to go fight somebody or something I mean he’s such a good motivator,” Kessler said after the first Lakers’ practice. “He’s incredible. He’s really incredible. Having someone that’s done it for 15 years playing and now three years coaching, it’s easy to see why he’s so successful.”