Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — As Walker Kessler spoke about his second NBA season, the same term kept popping up.
How did he learn to be patient with himself?
"I think that you can either crash and burn or look for the good out of it and try to learn from it," he said.
How did he handle the inconsistency of his role this season?
"You can either react one way and crash and burn or try and figure it out," he added.
How did you keep a positive head space through the long-losing streaks?
"It really helps to just kind of cling on everyone else and not really kind of isolate yourself, because that's when you crash and burn — like I've said multiple times," he said.
Which begged the question: Was Kessler close to crashing and burning this season?
"I haven't been close to crashing and burning, but I've been close to being overheated and a little turbulence," Kessler said.
He spoke in his customary jovial cadence, but this much was clear: Things didn't come as easy for Kessler in his second season.
Kessler was one of the surprise rookies in during the 2022-23 season. He was picked 22nd and had been traded twice before Summer Leagues even began — and, yet, he ended up being one of the most productive rookies in the class. Heck, he was one of the most effective defensive bigs in the entire NBA.
Some were even quick to label the Jazz as the clear winners of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal due to Kessler alone. Year 2 didn't reach the same level, though.
Several things played into Kessler's semi-disappointing sophomore campaign — an early-season injury, an inconsistent role, reduced minutes, and team makeup. It all led to expectations — both his own and those from the outside — not being met.
He believes, though, that it was a necessary step to become the player he thinks he can be.
"I learned that I need to give myself a lot of grace," Kessler said. "And I did a lot better of that towards the end of the year. And understanding that the path I will take to being the best possible player I can be is not going to be just a straight going up. Understanding that not to be discouraged by difficult times."
Kessler didn't take a step forward in his second season. His shooting percentages went down and he didn't have the same impact at the rim — on both sides of the court. And with John Collins and Kessler both at their best at the five spot, Kessler often came off the bench. After an All-Rookie season, that wasn't what he was expecting.
"Expectations are always a unique thing because they can mess with your emotions," Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Hardy, though, doesn't think Kessler is in a bad spot. He likened his first two seasons to being .500 after four games. If a team loses the first two and wins the next two, everyone's feeling good. But if they had just lost two in a row … well, things could be on the gloomy side. That's where Kessler currently stands.
"If you had told me when we traded for Walker two years ago that this is the point in the map that he would be at two years in, I would have been happy," Hardy said. "But he probably overachieved in his first year and then this year, he felt like he didn't play his best for a variety of reasons. And so it makes you feel different."
Kessler got through a trying second season by gaining a new perspective. He knows now that progress isn't going to be linear. There will be bad moments and trying games; there will be times when he doesn't start or finish games. Those things impacted his play this last season, and he's determined to not let that happen again.
"I think he's in a good mental space right now," general manager Justin Zanik said. "Thinking about the things he needs to do when he's on the court, not how much he's on the court or who's on the court with that just making use of that time — like he did a very good job last year."
And now with a summer free from Team USA obligations, he has a chance to key on some things. The Jazz want him to get stronger, get more comfortable on the offensive end, and work on becoming a more diverse defender. They still see him as a building block for the future and a key part of a young core.
"There are things from a technique standpoint, from an understanding standpoint, a communication standpoint that he needs to continue to grow up at to become a centerpiece of the defense," Hardy said.
When it comes to learning, Hardy believes there's no substitute for playing. Kessler will be splitting time between Utah and Atlanta this summer to get reps in, and the plan is for him to play summer league in July along with rookies Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh.
"It definitely was an interesting year," Kessler said. "I think personally saw the hills and valleys — a lot of ups and downs— but I learned a lot this year. I learned a lot about myself, a lot about the team and just trying to go into the offseason taking what I can from the season and trying to improve."
