Walker Kessler just etched his name into the franchise record books, becoming only the second Los Angeles Laker in history to drop 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks on a perfect shooting night. That happened against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, a truly wild performance that has everyone in LA buzzing about what this guy is doing.
From Fumble to Fire: Kessler’s Massive Turnaround
It wasn’t that long ago Kessler was struggling, though. Back on October 25, during his return to Utah, he put up just two points on 1-of-2 shooting and racked up four fouls. He even admitted afterward that his emotions got the best of him, and he just couldn’t find his rhythm against the Jazz. But man, has he flipped the script since then! In the five games following that Utah outing, Kessler’s gone off. He’s recorded three double-doubles, all coming in the last three games, and he’s swatting everything in sight, averaging 2.6 blocks every single night.
You saw it against the Miami Heat on Monday: 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting, a massive 15 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Then there was that historic Raptors game just the day before with 16 points on a flawless 6-of-6 from the field, another 15 rebounds, three blocks, an assist, and a steal. Through eight games this season, this acquisition is looking like an absolute smash hit for Los Angeles. He’s averaging 14.4 points on a ridiculous 69.8% true shooting, 10.5 boards, 2.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals. You gotta love that kind of production!
The Trio That’s Driving LA’s Early Success
It’s not just Kessler making waves, though. The Lakers are sitting pretty at 6-2, boasting the league’s second-ranked offense and a solid seventh-best net rating of plus-8.8. A huge part of that is the killer trio of Luka Dončić, Kessler, and Austin Reaves. All three guys have kicked off the 2026-27 season in incredible form. When Dončić, Kessler, and Reaves are sharing the floor, the Lakers are just obliterating opponents, outscoring them by 104 points in 145 minutes. They’re racking up an insane 138.3 offensive rating and holding opponents to a 105.8 defensive rating when they’re together, according to NBA.com. That’s serious business.
Luka Dončić isn’t holding back his praise for the big man either. “He’s a big key for us. I think when he plays good, it gives us a way better chance to win,” Dončić told reporters after the Monday game. “He just need to keep going like this. Like we told him, we have his back. Obviously, he’s not going to play every game great, but what he’s been doing, it’s helping us win a lot.” And Austin Reaves, the longest-tenured Laker, is right there with him, clearly stoked to have Kessler. “He’s been great. It’s fun to watch,” Reaves said Monday. “Glad to have him on our team and he’s going to continue to get better every single game. But he’s been massive for us this whole year.”
Next up, Kessler and the Lakers are hunting for their third consecutive win. They hit the road Wednesday night to face the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. Can they keep this momentum rolling? You know everyone will be watching.
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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