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SACRAMENTO — Walker Kessler has been every bit of the rim protector the Lakers hoped he would be when they made the investment they did to acquire him from the Jazz.
And the stats back it up.
Opponents shoot significantly worse and less near the rim when the 7-foot-2 center is on the floor.
He’s top seven in the league in defensive field-goal percentage near the rim.
And after blocking four shots during the Lakers’ 116-103 win over the Kings on Wednesday, Kessler ranked third in blocked shots per game entering Thursday — a stat that surprised him.
“Third? I know [Victor Wembanyama’s] ahead of me,” Kessler said. “Who else is ahead of me?”
Kessler added: “But it’s crazy. I thought I was at least No. 2 That’s crazy.”
Wembanyama, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was an easy guess considering he leads the league at 4.5 blocked shots per game after blocking eight shots in the Spurs’ win over the Mavericks on Wednesday.
The only other player averaging more blocked shots than Kessler? Bucks big man Myles Turner, who entered Thursday averaging 2.8 blocked shots per game compared with Kessler’s 2.7.
“Really?” Kessler responded when this information was relayed to him.
Technically, Kessler has blocked more shots this season. He’s recorded 24 blocked shots, while Turner has 22.
But Kessler’s nine games played compared with Turner’s eight gives the Bucks center the edge when it comes to the season-long average.
It’s unlikely either will threaten Wembanyama when it comes to the most blocked shots per game this season. The Spurs 7-4 phenom has led the NBA in the statistical category each season since being the top draft pick in 2023. But the race for No. 2 will be a fun one to monitor.
