The Los Angeles Lakers' polarizing trade for Walker Kessler may help star Luka Dončić in ways never thought possible. Kessler might not be who many Lakers fans were hoping for when the offseason began, but he is clearly expected to be a big part of the Lakers going forward.
After all, they traded all of the remaining first-round picks to acquire him from the Utah Jazz and signed him to a $130 million deal. That is definitely a risky move considering he missed almost all of last season and hasn't played on a playoff team just yet.
Despite that, he possesses elite rim protection and rebounding, seemingly making him the ideal fit to anchor the Lakers' defense and make life easier on Doncic. Unfortunately for Kessler, the Lakers did him no favors with the rest of their offseason moves.
Walker Kessler will help the Lakers unlock Luka Doncic like never before
Kessler will have to work doubly hard to cover up for other Lakers' shortcomings, including Doncic. Doncic is well known for being a terrible defender, but he hasn't played with a rim protector as good as Kessler at any point in his career.
Yes, he played with some solid centers in Dallas, but no one near as good as Kessler at defending the basket. Doncic won't have to worry as much about opposing teams attacking him defensively when the Lakers can shut down the paint thanks to a 7'1" behemoth.
Offensively, Kessler isn't the traditional athletic rim runner that Doncic is known to prefer. Nevertheless, he's 7'1, sets hard screens, and has decent hands, making him a capable lob threat.
At the very least, Kessler should do a better job than Deandre Ayton at freeing Doncic up by setting physical screens. That should allow Doncic to get downhill more easily. That could spell trouble for opposing defenses who already have a nightmarish time stopping Doncic.
Walker Kessler will help make life easier for Luka Doncic
The Lakers are seemingly banking on having an elite offense with a more Doncic-centric team. It's entirely possible that that will work out in their favor given his track record in Dallas.
Remember, he had one of his best seasons last year, averaging 33.5 points per game and showing what skinny Luka is all about. With more offensive pieces around him, he could easily help Los Angeles be a top five offensive team.
Of course, they wouldn't go far without having at least a league-average defense. They could have done a much better job of adding more defensive pieces to help their cause on the end of the floor, and it may limit their ceiling.
Then again, they clearly have a lot of faith in Kessler to anchor the paint and force defenders to take tough shots to the rim. It's usually a great recipe for at least a decent defense, and if he can help them reach that level, then Doncic will do the rest.
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