Walker Kessler admitted he was too emotional in his return to Utah
· Yahoo Sports
Sunday marked Walker Kessler's return to Salt Lake City, a place he's familiar with after spending the previous four seasons with the Utah Jazz. He was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal in July, and he started this season off with two stellar performances against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
Sunday's game was a different story, however. The Jazz made sure to seal up any passing lanes that could've resulted in easy baskets for Kessler. On the other end, they looked to draw Kessler over as he tried to block shots, which allowed them to get a whopping 34 second-chance points.
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He finished with just two points, seven rebounds and one block, but he got the last laugh, as the Lakers overcame a large, early deficit and got themselves a 132-123 victory to improve to a 3-0 record.
Kessler admitted that perhaps he was a bit too emotional in his return to his old stomping grounds.
"I think going into the game I let my emotions get the best of me," Kessler said. "But you got to learn in those moments and move on."
Perhaps it is Kessler's presence that matters most to the Lakers. At 7-foot-1 and 245 pounds, he's a towering presence, and he does force teams to make adjustments on both ends of the court. His threat as a finisher and a target for lob passes can open things up for his teammates on the perimeter, and his ability to block shots and protect the rim overall allows his teammates to be more aggressive defensively on the perimeter.
What L.A. doesn't have is a competent backup center who can allow it to remain solid in the middle when Kessler is resting. But in Kessler, the Lakers do have that elite rim presence and defensive center they haven't enjoyed in a while.
This article originally appeared on Lakers Wire: Walker Kessler admitted he was too emotional in his return to Utah