Overview
- Kessler took control in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s win in Sacramento, scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds, blocking four shots and adding a steal to help the Lakers pull away.
- For the season he ranks third in blocked shots per game entering Nov. 5 and has more total blocks than some peers, a gap that exists because of differences in games played.
- Kessler admitted he was flat through three quarters and said Domantas Sabonis gave him trouble early, a pattern that highlights how physical, rebounding centers can expose his current weaknesses.
- Coach JJ Redick praised the team’s defensive progress after the game, though Kessler’s fourth-quarter impact was tempered by fouling out late in the contest.
- The Lakers’ cautious early management of Kessler’s health and the team’s reliance on Luka Dončić’s scoring mean his long-term value will hinge on consistency, foul control and how he handles heavy, physical matchups as the sample size grows.