Walker Kessler shines in Lakers debut despite Warriors loss
Key takeaways
- Walker Kessler scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 16 first-half minutes in his first game as a Laker.
- The Lakers lost 101-89 to the Warriors, but they outscored Golden State by 15 points while Kessler played.
- Luka Doncic rested, so Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 28 points in Las Vegas.
Walker Kessler made a strong first start for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. He scored 11 points in just 16 minutes. He also grabbed nine rebounds, according to the New York Post.
The Lakers still lost 101-89 to the Golden State Warriors. But Kessler gave fans a clear reason for hope.
The game took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, according to Lakers Nation. It was a preseason game. A preseason game is a practice game played before the real season starts.
Teams use these games to test new players and new plans. Wins and losses in preseason do not count in the real standings.
It was also a debut for Kessler. A debut means a first game for a new team. Kessler had never played for the Lakers before Tuesday night.
He joined the team this summer in a trade, according to the New York Post. The trade was with the Utah Jazz. The Lakers then signed him to a four-year deal, the Post reported.
It is worth 130 million dollars.
What happened
Kessler started the game at center. A center is the tallest player on the team. He plays near the basket.
He blocks shots, grabs rebounds, and scores close to the rim. Kessler is 7 feet 2 inches tall, according to the New York Post. That height makes him a natural fit for the role.
He played only in the first half. Coach JJ Redick kept him on the bench after halftime, according to the Post. The plan was careful.
Kessler had missed the first three preseason games. He had a hurt left pinky finger, the Post reported. His pinky is the smallest finger on his hand.
He hurt it in training camp.
Even in short time, Kessler filled the stat sheet. He shot 4-for-6 from the field, according to TalkBasket. That means he made four of his six shots.
He also made three of his four free throws, TalkBasket reported. A free throw is an open shot from a line. A player gets free throws after a foul.
Kessler grabbed nine rebounds in the first half. A rebound means catching the ball after a missed shot. Two of his rebounds came on offense, according to the Post.
Those extra chances gave the Lakers more shots. He also added one assist, one steal, and one block, according to Lakers Nation. An assist is a pass that leads to a score.
A block is stopping an opponent's shot.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers in scoring. He scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, according to Lakers Nation. He also had seven assists and four rebounds, Lakers Nation reported.
Reaves started hot. He scored 11 points in the first nine minutes, according to Lakers Nation. He led all scorers at halftime with 23 points.
Luka Doncic did not play at all. Doncic is the Lakers' star guard. A guard is a player who handles the ball and sets up plays.
Doncic was healthy, according to Lakers Nation. The team simply gave him a night of rest. Rest days are common in preseason.
Teams want their stars fresh for the real season.
The Lakers led 63-50 at halftime, according to TalkBasket. They even led by 20 points early in the second half, Lakers Nation reported. Then the game turned.
The Warriors outscored the Lakers 51-26 after halftime, according to TalkBasket. The Lakers scored only 13 points in each of the last two quarters, TalkBasket reported.
Golden State kept some of its starters in the game late, according to Lakers Nation. The Lakers used their bench players instead. A bench player is a backup who does not start the game.
The young backups could not hold the lead. The Warriors took control and won by 12 points. The loss dropped the Lakers to 2-2 in preseason play, according to TalkBasket.
Why it matters
The score hides how well Kessler played. The Lakers outscored the Warriors by 15 points while Kessler played. That stretch lasted 16 minutes, according to the New York Post.
That number is called plus-minus. It shows the score gap while one player is in the game. Kessler's plus-15 was the best on the Lakers, the Post reported.
His energy set the tone. Coach Redick asked Kessler to be "relentless," according to the Post. Relentless means never stopping and never taking a play off.
Kessler and Redick agreed on that word before the season, Kessler said. For Kessler, it means crashing the boards every time. It means running hard on every play.
It means playing hard on offense and defense.
Redick praised the debut after the game. "He's a great fit for our team," Redick said, according to the Post. Redick said Kessler ran the floor well.
He said Kessler grabbed tough rebounds in traffic. He also said Kessler protected the rim. Protecting the rim means blocking shots near the basket.
It stops easy scores.
Kessler's screening also helped the team. A screen is when a player stands still to block a defender. It frees a teammate for an open shot.
Kessler set hard screens all night, according to Lakers Nation. Those screens created open looks from three-point range. A three-pointer is a shot from far away.
It counts for three points.
Reaves felt that impact firsthand. Kessler's hard rolls to the basket pulled defenders inward, Reaves said. That left Lakers shooters open on the outside.
Reaves said the hard rolls gave the team good open looks. He counted four or five looks from 3. Rolling means sprinting toward the basket after setting a screen.
Kessler's return also matters because he missed so much time. He played only five regular-season games in 2025-26, according to the Post. A season-ending left shoulder surgery cut his year short.
Tuesday was his first NBA game in nearly a full year, the Post reported. His debut showed that the long wait did not slow him down.
The Lakers need a strong center to win. A good center grabs rebounds and blocks shots. He also opens space for scorers like Doncic and Reaves.
Kessler did all three in one half. If he stays healthy, he can fill that role all season. That is why the Lakers paid him a big contract.
Kessler admitted he felt nervous before the game. "It was a lot of fun being out there again," Kessler said, according to TalkBasket. "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." His own words show how much the night meant to him.
What happens next
The Lakers have one preseason game left. They host the Denver Nuggets on Friday in Los Angeles, according to Lakers Nation. That game is the last test before the real season starts.
Kessler should get more minutes. He needs game feel. Game feel means knowing where to be without thinking.
It comes only from playing real minutes.
Kessler named game feel as his main goal. He said it will come with time. He said it will come from playing with his teammates now that doctors cleared him.
Cleared means doctors said he can play. He also said his conditioning felt good, according to the Post. Conditioning means fitness and stamina.
The Lakers then open the new NBA season against the Warriors. That game comes next week, Lakers Nation reported. The rematch gives Kessler a quick second look at the same team.
He can use what he learned on Tuesday. The Warriors went small at times. Small lineups use quick players instead of big ones.
Kessler said he must guard three-point shots better in those matchups, according to TalkBasket.
Doncic should return for the next game or the opener. His rest was planned, according to Lakers Nation. Once Doncic plays with Kessler, the pick and roll could grow.
A pick and roll is a two-man play. One player sets a screen, then rolls to the basket. The other player drives or passes.
Kessler and Reaves already showed how well it works. Doncic runs the same play at a high level.
Fans should watch Kessler's minutes in the next game. More minutes will show if his body holds up. They will also show if his timing keeps improving.
One half is a small sample. A sample means a small set of games. But the first sample was strong.
Kessler ran hard, rebounded well, and guarded the rim.
The Warriors' comeback win also gave the Lakers a lesson. A big lead means little when the bench cannot hold it. The Lakers turned the ball over too often late.
A turnover means losing the ball to the other team. The starters will play more in the real season. That should help.
But depth still matters. Depth means the strength of the bench.
For now, the Lakers can feel good about their new center. Kessler waited nearly a year for this night. He played with joy and force.
He made his coach smile. He made his teammates better. The next step is simple.
He must do it again on Friday, then again when the games start to count.
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