Jazz's Walker Kessler: Expected to play in Summer League
Rotowire
The Jazz plan to have Kessler (nose) participate in the 2024 NBA Summer League, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.
After a nice rookie season in 2022-23 in which Kessler started his final 34 appearances, he was selected in the early-to-mid rounds of most fantasy leagues this season. Managers who did so were disappointed. The center's points (8.1) and rebounds (7.5) per game decreased, as did his field-goal percentage (65.4). He also started just 22 games and crossed the 30-minute threshold only eight times. While the Jazz also had interest in developing other bigs like John Collins and Taylor Hendricks, plus giving minutes to Kelly Olynyk before trading him to Toronto, Kessler's role gave the impression that he wasn't impressing coach Will Hardy. The organization seems to believe it would be best for Kessler to get more development minutes this summer.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Ruled out for Sunday
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Kessler (nose) will not play Sunday against the Warriors.
Kessler will end up missing the final six games of the campaign. After a breakout rookie season in 2022-23, Kessler couldn't really build on that momentum in 2023-24. He finished the season with averages of 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 23.3 minutes across 64 appearances.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Friday
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Kessler (nose) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler continues to deal with a nasal fracture and will be unavailable for a fifth consecutive matchup. His final chance to return during the regular season will be Sunday against Golden State.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Another absence coming
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Kessler (nose) is out for Thursday's game versus the Rockets, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports.
Kessler will miss his fourth straight contest Thursday due to a nasal fracture. Omer Yurtseven should receive another start in his absence.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Ruled out for Tuesday
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Kessler (nose) won't play Tuesday against the Nuggets, Ben Anderson of KSL News Salt Lake City reports.
Kessler will miss his third straight contest since suffering a broken nose. Omer Yurtseven should be in line for another start at center with John Collins (back) also out.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Not playing vs. Warriors
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Kessler (nose) is out for Sunday's game against the Warriors, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler suffered a nasal fracture in Tuesday's 129-113 loss to the Cavaliers and will miss his second straight contest. With top center John Collins (back) also out for a fourth straight game, third-stringer Omer Yurtseven is expected to draw another start.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Just misses double-double in start
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Kessler chipped in 14 points (7-7 FG), nine rebounds and two assists over 27 minutes during Thursday's 113-97 loss to the Mavericks.
John Collins (face) sat out the contest, giving Kessler a chance to move into the starting lineup. Kessler performed well in making all seven of his field-goal attempts and leading Utah with nine boards, though he failed to record a block for the first time in his past 29 games. The big man has come off the bench for the majority of the campaign but still ranks second in the NBA with 2.5 swats per contest.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Joins starting lineup
Rotowire
Kessler will join the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Mavericks.
John Collins (head) is being held out for the second leg of this back-to-back set, so this is an expected move for Kessler. As a starter this season, Kessler holds averages of 8.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Top rebounder off bench in loss
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Kessler closed Monday's 114-104 loss to Minnesota with six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and one block in 28 minutes.
Kessler returned to the bench in Monday's defeat, leading all players in rebounds while adding a half-dozen points to provide a spark off the bench. Kessler has grabbed 14 or more boards in three games this season, surpassing the double-digit mark in three of his last five outings.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Nears double-double in start
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Kessler closed with seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and one block over 30 minutes during Saturday's 119-100 loss to the Timberwolves.
Kessler returned to the starting lineup due to the absence of John Collins (rest), hauling in a team-high-tying rebound total while ending three points short of a double-double in a balanced performance. Kessler has been strong on the glass for Utah this season, posting his 14th game with 10 or more rebounds. He has grabbed 10 or more boards in three of his last five outings, adding five or more points in all three contests.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Top rebounder off bench in loss
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Kessler ended with two points (1-1 FG), eight rebounds, one assist and one block over 19 minutes during Tuesday's 123-107 loss to Boston.
Kessler continues to work his way back to full strength after recently returning to the rotation following time off with a right foot sprain. With Luka Samanic starting, Kessler moved to the bench Tuesday but led the Jazz in rebounds despite playing limited minutes. Kessler has hauled in eight or more boards in two straight contests since his return, taking the court in 21.5 minutes per game over that two-game span.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Returns to bench
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Kessler isn't in the starting five for Tuesday's game versus the Celtics, David Locke of Jazz radio reports.
Kessler will be replaced by Luka Samanic in the starting lineup. Kessler is averaging 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists in 22.8 minutes across his last five appearances coming off the bench.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Grabs 11 boards in return
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Kessler (foot) finished with six points (3-9 FG), 11 rebounds, two assists and one block across 24 minutes in Saturday's 142-121 loss to Denver.
Before missing the Jazz's previous four games with a right foot sprain, Kessler had come off the bench in each of his most recent three appearances, but he took on a starting role Saturday. He could be a candidate to hit the bench when the Jazz get both Lauri Markkanen (quadricep) and Taylor Hendricks (toe) back in action, but for the time being, Kessler may be in store for boosted minutes in a depleted Jazz frontcourt.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Listed as questionable
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Kessler (foot) is questionable for Saturday's game against Denver.
Kessler missed the past four games for Utah, but he's trending in the right direction. The questionable tag suggests that he's day-to-day, and he was able to turn in a full practice Thursday. If cleared, Kessler will likely reprise his role as the backup center behind John Collins.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Wednesday
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Kessler (foot) will not play in Wednesday's game against the Bulls, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
This will be the fourth straight game on the sidelines for Kessler, and it's not a great sign that he continues to be ruled out a day in advance. Following Wednesday's game, the Jazz will be off until Saturday against the Nuggets, but Kessler should be considered questionable, at best, for that contest.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Officially out
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Kessler (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's game versus the Heat.
Kessler's absence will mark his second straight due to a right foot sprain. Prior to these two absences, the big man had not missed a game since Dec. 11. Luka Samanic entered the rotation with Kessler out of the last game and could be in line to do so again.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Won't play Thursday
Rotowire
Kessler (foot) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Magic, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Kessler was questionable for Thursday's matchup due to a right foot sprain, and he'll be unavailable for the first time since Dec. 11. John Collins, Brice Sensabaugh and Omer Yurtseven are candidates to see an uptick in playing time against Orlando.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Questionable for Thursday's game
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Kessler is questionable for Thursday's game against the Magic due to a right foot sprain.
Kessler hasn't missed a game since mid-December, but he's dealing with a foot injury after posting a double-double in Tuesday's loss to Atlanta. If he's unavailable against Orlando, John Collins, Taylor Hendricks and Omer Yurtseven could see additional playing time.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Headed to bench Thursday
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Kessler will come off the bench for Thursday's game against the Hornets.
Kessler had made his way into the starting unit over Utah's final four games heading into the All-Star break, but he now finds himself back in the second unit. He'll be replaced by Taylor Hendricks in the first unit, and his value will dip in the reserve role.
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Jazz's Walker Kessler: Big contributor in comeback win
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Kessler notched 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 27 minutes during Sunday's 123-108 win over Milwaukee.
As usual, John Collins started at center for Utah, but Kessler ended up playing three more minutes. That was largely due to a huge fourth quarter during which the Jazz outscored Milwaukee by 27 points with same five players (Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk) on the floor for the entire period. Kessler registered nine points during that run, and he finished with his highest scoring total since mid-December. Kessler's shot-blocking ability is what carries his value in fantasy -- he's swatted at least one shot in 14 straight games, with multiple blocks 10 times during that span -- so whatever scoring he does to complement his defensive work is generally icing on the cake for those who roster him.
