The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a massive four-year, $130 million deal this summer on Walker Kessler, plus a pair of first-round picks and swaps sent to the Utah Jazz for him. It’s clear they expect huge things, especially how his game is supposed to mesh with their star duo, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. To get those big results, Kessler and Head Coach JJ Redick are latching onto one singular word, a challenge that’s gonna echo through Kessler’s entire approach on the floor this season.
Redick’s Challenge: Be Relentless
JJ Redick didn’t mince words after Kessler’s preseason debut, telling reporters the challenge for Kessler is “just being relentless.” He’s talking about a motor that never quits on both ends, running the floor, diving hard, setting screens, crashing the glass like a maniac, and playing off Luka and Reaves. Redick sees Kessler getting chances to make plays in the pocket because of how teams guard those two stars. According to Redick, Kessler’s stats are just gonna “naturally come” if he plays hard. It’s about that consistent effort, the kind of stuff that doesn’t always jump out in the box score but absolutely fuels the team.
Kessler is all in on this mantra. He said he and Redick talked, and “relentless” is what they came up with for the year. For him, that means crashing every single time, being a dominant presence in the paint, running constantly, playing hard, and never, ever taking a play off on offense or defense. That’s his mission, plain and simple.
First Impressions and What’s Next
Kessler already gave a pretty good preview of that relentless mindset in his first game as a Laker. Against the Golden State Warriors, he dropped 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, pulled down nine rebounds, dished out an assist, grabbed a steal, and swatted away a block. That’s a solid line for a debut, and Redick called it “a very encouraging thing” to have guys like Kessler willing to do all the “little stuff” that ultimately helps the team win.
He knows if he pours that relentless energy into every possession, high-level impact is gonna follow. Lakers fans will get another chance to see Kessler embody that intense mantra Friday when the team faces the Denver Nuggets in their preseason finale. Then it’s for real: the regular season kicks off October 21 at home, once again against the Warriors. You gotta wonder how much that single word is going to propel him and the Lakers this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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