Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes Walker Kessler is ready to embrace the pressure that comes with playing center for one of the NBA’s most scrutinized franchises.
Speaking after the Lakers’ 121-106 preseason loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, October 16, Redick discussed the expectations facing Kessler following his arrival in Los Angeles and the conversations they have had about the challenges ahead.
“I think he wants to embrace that. I think that’s why he wanted to be a Laker and why he wanted to be here was because of the fact that there are stakes every single night when you wear a Lakers uniform,” Redick said.
The Lakers made Kessler their starting center through a blockbuster sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz on July 8. The 25-year-old signed a four-year, $129.5 million contract, with Los Angeles surrendering two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to acquire him.
The move was one of the defining decisions of the Lakers’ offseason after LeBron James left in free agency to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Los Angeles is now building around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler, placing significant responsibility on the young center to anchor the frontcourt.
Redick said he had already held several conversations with Kessler, including an extended discussion earlier in the week. However, the coach acknowledged that adjusting to the expectations surrounding the Lakers is difficult to predict before experiencing them firsthand.
“How you navigate that early on and how you navigate that in your first year there’s no way to predict that because you’ve never dealt with it before,” Redick said.
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The coach also emphasized that Kessler would have support as he adjusts to his new environment. Redick mentioned Kessler’s agent, Aaron Mintz, whom he described as a longtime friend, and reiterated that the organization would help the center through the transition.
“We’re all here to support him,” Redick said. “All these guys that haven’t gone through it. There’s nothing like it and I think they all wanna embrace it.”
Kessler finished Saturday’s preseason game against Denver with six points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 31 minutes. He shot 2-of-8 from the field as the Lakers fell to 2-3 in preseason play.
Redick remains confident that Kessler and his teammates understand what representing Los Angeles means.
“They wanna make Lakers fans proud and I know they will,” the coach said.
