T-wolves welcome rookie Kessler’s defense, size and upside
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Walker Kessler will carry a 7-foot-1 presence and prolific shot-blocking means to Minnesota, a welcome complement within the put up to star Karl-Anthony Cities even when his taking part in time is restricted throughout his debut NBA season.
The Timberwolves didn’t simply draft him to patrol the paint and guard the pick-and-roll. He has upside as a scorer, too.
“Highschool 12 months, I didn’t know what protection was. I used to be only a stretch large, expert large, offensive participant. That’s all I did,“ Kessler stated Tuesday because the Timberwolves launched him and fellow draft picks Wendell Moore Jr. and Josh Minott at Goal Middle.
Kessler started to unlock his potential as a freshman at North Carolina. After transferring to Auburn last year, he flourished as a rim protector. The Tigers had loads of scorers, so he carved out his own role and received two nationwide defensive participant of the 12 months awards whereas main the nation with a program-record 155 blocked photographs. Kessler had two points-rebounds-blocks triple-doubles.
“It’s good to get a bit bit larger. Oftentimes final 12 months, we’d begin small and get smaller,” coach Chris Finch stated.
Kessler has a tender contact across the hoop and shot 70% from contained in the arc, his total taking pictures charge dragged down by a 10-for-50 efficiency from 3-point vary that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly briefly needled him about throughout the information convention.
“Oftentimes when the shot went up, you see the bench placing their palms up,“ Connelly stated. “Teammates know. Coaches know. They spoke extremely of each his means to make photographs and, extra importantly, his work ethic behind attempting to enhance as a shooter.”
He has bloodlines on his aspect, for certain. Kessler’s father, Chad, and uncle, Alec, have been each NBA draft picks after standout college careers at Georgia within the Nineteen Eighties. Kessler’s older brother, Houston Walker, additionally performed for the Bulldogs from 2013-17.
Alec Kessler, who died at age 40 in 2007 after collapsing throughout a pickup sport, is the second-leading scorer in Bulldogs historical past. He was the No. 12 total choice in 1990 by the Miami Warmth, for whom he performed 4 seasons earlier than turning into an orthopedic surgeon.
Chad Kessler was a fifth-rounder and a preseason reduce by the Los Angeles Clippers, accelerating his entry into the medical subject. He’s at present a back, neck and spine doctor in Georgia.
The birthplace of each Chad and Alec? Minneapolis. That’s the place their father and Walker’s grandfather, Jay Kessler, performed school ball for the Gophers within the early Sixties after rising up in southwest Minnesota.
“God works in mysterious methods,“ Walker Kessler stated, “so to be right here now’s actually cool.”
Taking part in with Cities might be, too. The Wolves can supply Cities one other supermax extension this summer season after he was a 3rd staff All-NBA choice this season.
“I do know he labored onerous for it. I do know he’s excited, so I feel it’ll be a particular second for him and for this group,” Finch stated.
The Wolves will possible look largely the identical for subsequent season coming off their seventh-place end within the Western Convention. Free company might be extra about discovering complementary gamers, similar to Kessler and Moore might be, for Cities, Anthony Edwards and different valued kids like Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell.
“We will discuss this draft class, we are able to discuss free company, however the one factor we all know for certain is that the interior improvement of Ant and Jaden and Jaylen, these three guys specifically, would be the single largest driver of how far we are able to go subsequent 12 months,“ Finch stated.
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