What Kessler’s USA Basketball Experience Could Mean For His Growth

August 9th, 2023 | by Steve Godfrey

Kessler’s defense could earn him Team USA minutes in Manila. (Rick Bowmer via sltrib.com)

Originally published on August 9th, this article has been updated on August 14th with new information and game recaps. 

Under head coach Will Hardy, center Walker Kessler thrived at the center position as a defensive force that led the big man to the All-Rookie first team and a third-place finish as Rookie of the Year. As a late first-round draft pick and a throw-in the monster Rudy Gobert trade, that’s not too shabby. 

As Kessler prepares for year two as a pro, he was selected to play with USA Basketball in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. As one of five players on the Jazz roster who will be seeking a gold medal, Kessler is one who will find a lot of value in the experience to build upon his strong rookie play and fend off a sophomore slump. 

He’ll back up Jaren Jackson, Jr, reigning Defensive Player of the Year and one of the true stars on the roster, so, yes, his minutes will be sparse. But to pick Jackson’s brain and then practice around, with, and against rising stars and talented players, while also getting minutes against an ever-improving international play is the perfect formula to stay sharp, get better, and then tune up to be effective right as the regular season tips off. 

“I’m really excited to be a part of Team USA and extremely thankful that I get to be a part of this,” Kessler told The Athletic’s Tony Jones. “I think the amount of talent and the amount of knowledge that’s going to be on the roster is amazing. I’m trying to learn as much as I can and use this experience to try and better myself in every way that I can.”

Funny enough, Kessler originally thought he was getting traded instead of being selected for Team USA’s roster. Sitting down with Utah Jazz digital media manager JP Chunga on August 10th, Kessler admits that he was freaking out when Justin Zanik came onto the practice court to tell him to take a phone call. He recounts, “I don’t know what’s about to happen. I’m about to get traded? Everything was going in my head.” Instead, it was Coach Hardy saying congratulations on making the team which helped Kessler breathe again. “I was like, Oh!” he said. “I definitely was kinda speechless, but they voiced their congrats, and here I am.” Listen to Chunga’s full interview here.

 

Kessler’s impact three games in

Team USA met at the beginning of August in Las Vegas to begin practices and scrimmages. After playing against the Select Team a few times, they had their first exhibition game against Puerto Rico on Monday, August 7th. USA won handily, 117-74 as Anthony Edwards, of the Timberwolves, and Cam Johnson, of the Brooklyn Nets, led the team in scoring with 15 apiece. America’s Sheriff, as some on Jazz Twitter have started calling him, didn’t play until the final four minutes, with the game well out of reach, but managed 5 points and 4 rebounds, three of which were offensive, in his first taste of international play. 

Next, America took on Slovenia, who played without star Luka Doncic, and won by 30, 92-62. Edwards again scored 15 to lead the team in scoring, while Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks, added 11, and Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers, chipped in 10. It wasn’t until garbage time again for Kessler to get into the game, only getting a handful of minutes to accumulate two points, a board, and a block as time expired. Scoring a bucket off a Reaves assist with 20 seconds left in the game ensured that all 12 members of Team USA scored in the ball game. 

Then, on August 13th, the USA played against a good team from Spain, the reigning FIBA World Champs, winning 92-82. Brunson had 23 points and five assists as he couldn’t miss from the field. Jackson Jr. added 14 points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots. Kessler was the only player not to play. 

Going into the tournament, many remarked on the misfit of talent on the roster without it feeling dominated by big names and big players. Kerr disagrees and thinks the team’s biggest advantage is their depth. “We know we have to lean into our depth,” he said. “We think we have more good players than the rest of the teams, more depth.” While it was unlikely for Kessler to break the 10-man rotation, many still thought he could be a big body and a defensive force at the rim when needed, especially against teams like Spain that play big.  Yet, not much has seemed to change in Kerr’s rotation through the first three games as Kessler hasn’t even played 10 minutes total in these exhibition games and is the last man off the bench when, or if, given the chance. 

Instead, Kerr is relying on Jackson Jr. to be the main anchor and cog in the middle. Remember that Jackson Jr. can also shoot from deep, which allows USA to space the floor on offense while the big fella from Memphis can still do his thing on defense to alter shots, protect the paint, and rotate around to make things fiesty. Getting back up big man minutes has been Bobby Portis, from Milwaukee, and even Paola Banchero, from Orlando. These two players allow the team to play small ball. While they might not be defensive rim protectors, they give the team spacing and versatility, which works. This is a trend we’ve seen in the NBA for the last decade, so it fits that they would play international ball this way, too. When you add in the head coach is Kerr, who has seen much success with Draymond Green being a non-traditional big, it makes sense that Kessler would be the odd man out. 

Kessler and Team USA will play two more warm-up games within the next week — against Greece and Germany — before the World Cup begins in Manila on August 26. In group play, they’ll take on the hosts from New Zealand along with Greece and Jordan over the span of a few days. Depending on wins and losses, the hope is to make the bracket phase and begin the quest for gold in September. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Kessler’s minutes match what was displayed against Puerto Rico, but the 22-year-old big man should still soak up the entire experience to simply get better. 

One big goal: Just get better

And let’s be real: Kessler is no diva. Whatever minutes he gets is whatever minutes he gets. Whatever experience he makes of this opportunity is whatever experience he makes of the opportunity.  This is true for much of Team USA’s roster.  Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Portis spoke about the team bonding by playing ball in the gym and getting up shots as they were in Las Vegas together for quite a while. The team was gym rats, not much about the parties or public scene. He also added, “When you’ve got a team full of selfless guys, guys who want to sacrifice for the betterment of the team, you can’t help but (get) better.” 

When you think of Kessler’s attributes, you picture him as a high-character, team-first guy who loves to work hard and do the dirty work for any team. In my opinion, these are the types of players you want on any roster, especially in a quest for gold. It makes sense that the second youngest player on the roster (Banchero is 20, Kessler is 22) would be on the team, even if minutes are limited. 

While Hardy was high on Kessler last season and instrumental in his year-one success, he also wants the big man to get better. “I told him that just because he came in and had a good rookie year, that doesn’t mean you’re going to get better the next year,” Hardy told The Athletic. “He’s going to have to put the work in, and I told him that. The good thing about that is Walker is a bit of a perfectionist, and he’s very hard on himself.”

To aid Hardy’s wish is Team USA’s coaching staff of veteran, accomplished personnel that know what it takes to win at the highest level. Taking the lead is Kerr, who played with rebounding machine Dennis Rodman and currently deploys defensive force Green. His team of assistants includes veteran coaches like Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Gonzaga’s Mark Few. How they view Utah’s big man will show fans what other bright minds think of Kessler and use him in games. If Kerr wants or needs defense, we know what Kessler can bring to the table. If Kerr needs a big body to bang against other big men, we know what Kessler can do. But are there other ways he can get on the court? Are there other skills the coaching staff can hone in on to continue to round out his game? What intangibles will he bring to the squad off the court or in practices? I’m also curious about what relationships Kessler builds, with coaching staff or teammates, that might influence his career outlook. 

This summer has already been successful for Kess as it’s been reported that he has been getting bigger and stronger, even adding 15 pounds to his large frame (he clocked in at 245 last season). He’s also reportedly been working on his deep shot, as Hardy says the big man can shoot a few this upcoming season. Before Puerto Rico, Kessler was working on his three-point shot and baseline jumpers with impressive efficiency. If that’s a year-two development, that’s a sure win. 

Not many young players get the experience to work with these legendary coaches and play in international competitions. This year, the FIBA roster is all young players, but arguably the rising stars of the league. Lucky for him, and lucky for Jazz fans, U.S.S. Kess is on the list. 

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