Yeah...and having his production on rookie scale is a big benefit to trading him. The longer you wait, the more of that value you're burning for whatever team may want him. Kessler had value as a prospect, but also because he had immediate value with his production compared to salary. The Jazz didn't seem to love him as prospect and obviously didn't need him to win now, which is why I thought a trade could happen. I personally didn't want to trade him, but if that's what the Jazz think of him an earlier move would have made most sense.
No Extension for Walker Kessler?
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Yeah...and having his production on rookie scale is a big benefit to trading him. The longer you wait, the more of that value you're burning for whatever team may want him. Kessler had value as a prospect, but also because he had immediate value with his production compared to salary. The Jazz didn't seem to love him as prospect and obviously didn't need him to win now, which is why I thought a trade could happen. I personally didn't want to trade him, but if that's what the Jazz think of him an earlier move would have made most sense.
framer
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1.Brunson was a UFA, no? If no, then Dallas was at fault for not having the cap room to sign him.
2. The Jazz lost Hayward as a UFA. Not the same thing.
3. Walker is arguably the best player on the team most nights. That kind of guy on a small market team generally gets maxxed. I can see Kesslers side insisting on it. I can see the Jazz and Kessler being far apart.
4. If the Jazz are open to trading Kessler they, by far, made the right decision. Do you think the Jazz made a mistake signing Lauri to a big contract rather than trading him before that?
Idk if you're just trying to be a homer or truly lack this amount of critical thinking skills.
Handlogten's Heros
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They had an opportunity to extend him at like 4/$55M and decided he needed to prove it and wanted flexibility. Dallas declined an opportunity to extend a guy who was willing to extend. RFA or not... it bit them HARD. Its a relevant cautionary tale.
Well he never hits RFA if they had extended him for the 4/50 he wanted. Instead he got 4/63 but last year was a player option... which allowed him to hit UFA and bounce. Had a legit championship window with one more year (at cheaper money).
He did not want the max. If they had offered him $30M (like 10-15M below his max) I have zero doubt it gets done. I know some things here. The Jazz never approached a serious offer. There were like 5-10 contracts that got done in the neighborhood of Walker's deal.
IDK... but my position all along with Walker was pay him or trade him. Lauri would have been similar. Once they got to one year left the renegotiate and extend was a no brainer if they didn't move him. I would have understood moving him too. The process there was at least sound because we knew what it would take to extend him and what we could get in a trade offer.
If the front office doesn’t know Kessler added a 3 to his game so now in addition to guarding the paint, scoring in the paint, picking up garbage and being a positive +|- guy he now can hit a 3 which forces defenses to be honest and spreads the floor offensively which plays right into our 3 and paint shot selection, then their heads are in the sand.
You don’t find this out on opening day.
jumpin bean
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Pacers not extending Mathurin is the same head scratcher
SoUjazzfan
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Kessler hitting a couple of threes dosent necessarily mean hes now a three point threat. My guess is he reverts back to the mean in the next couple of games. And lets see if his freethrows are for real as well. He's had a couple of outstanding games but that doesn't mean he's now an all star offensive player.
Yes, but it’s a start. In order to take them and hit them in a game, even if wide open, shows he has been taking them in practice and hitting them. This will force defenses to at least not leave him wide open.
He has more to prove, but even those 2 shots have now forced defenders closer to him when he’s out there, which now gives the team more offensive spacing and better looks.
My point was that the front office should have known he can hit wide open threes before game 1.
I never said he was suddenly the Joker.
underdog
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Let's not jump to conclusions yet. Hitting 3s in the gym doesn't mean much. But I sure hope he'll be hitting them and free throws this season. That would be fun.
Last night is exactly why I wasn't mad the Jazz didn't extend Kessler.
Kessler is a very good player with potential to be great, but if he doesn't fix his mental he won't be. Dude just is prone to being soft.
Kessler is a very good player with potential to be great, but if he doesn't fix his mental he won't be. Dude just is prone to being soft.
Yep
It’s tough to be an offensive threat from anywhere if you don’t shoot at all.
Maybe if we were in the Senior NBA every night he would tear it up?
I mean, the Kings were in his grill on the perimeter, so I dont see that as the issue.
Walker is just one of those players if he makes some bad plays he seems like he doesnt even want the ball. And when you play a guy like Sabonis, that's a death sentence because he hunts weakness. Gobert could drop the easiest pass you've ever seen or make some incredible "oh no" type play and the next possession he's going to try and rip the rim down. Kessler is the opposite.
And that's not to say Walker was all bad. He's just such a great presence even when he's on the court and playing subpar, he's still a net positive, but he can be so much better if he was just a bit nastier on the court.
homeytennis
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The last offensive rebound by the Kings last night was classic tank by Lauri and Kessler. If Kessler wants a bajillion dollars a year, he gets that board.
It's kind of tough for Walker because the Jazz are never going to make the offense for Kessler in the same way the Jazz did with Gobert, so he really has to assert himself to make sure he's at least getting 8 shot attempts per game. Maybe if we ever get a superstar heliocenteric player we would, but that isnt on the horizon and I dont think even if the Jazz drafted a Darryn Peterson they would try to mold him that way.
I think Walker can get there though. He just has to develop his comfort level with the ball on the perimeter where he isnt rushing or panic passing.
rjfan
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His mental barrier is something, but I'd say he needs to put a bit more of muscle and add some bunch more of strength. For as much mentality there could be talked, in a 1v1 matchup with Sabonis It was Nurkic who had the manpower to deal with the bumps.
And I make this distinction with muscle and strength looking at the Wemby example for this offseason and his physical growth overall. So far he didn't bulk up to mirror Embiid's physique, but to add a ton of functional strength, avoiding unnecessary risk with too much extra mass and weight being added at once and how It could mess with a player mobility and body coordination. Not as Kessler as player that is anywhere near Wemby skill and usage, but a bigman that is up for a leaner body type (more akin to Hartenstein than Brook Lopez).
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Tremendous Upside
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So you want him to take 8 shots per game on top of the usual garbageman putbacks and dunks he gets? Where the hell are those 8 shots gonna come from?
I mean he should absolutely be able to make some wide open jumpers now and then so defenses can't just keep ignoring him, but let's be real here. The very first step for Walker would be to drastically improve his FT shooting and remain consistent with it, not start jacking up shots out of nowhere. FFS, he's a career 52% shooter from the stripe.
homeytennis
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I remember Jerry Sloan once saying that a player has to be able to knock down wide open 15-17 footers with about 70% regularity or the offense just stalls when they are on the court.
Handlogten's Heros
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Walker wasn’t bad last night. The passing got a little wild in the first half. The defense was excellent. On the screen/roll actions they were dropping so no passing lane but some open jumpers that didn’t really fall. There was one lob attempt he didn’t go after in the 4th.
He did look tired. Wrestling with Sabonis and missing parts of training camp and preseason will do that.
On the last play he shifts over to help contest then almost gets back to the board still. Sabonis had good position at that point and is one of the best in that type of situation. I mean Lauri should be helping and bodying there.
If shots had been falling I wonder I Walker gets a few more passing lanes for finishes. He will have to take what they give him most nights.
He did look tired. Wrestling with Sabonis and missing parts of training camp and preseason will do that.
On the last play he shifts over to help contest then almost gets back to the board still. Sabonis had good position at that point and is one of the best in that type of situation. I mean Lauri should be helping and bodying there.
If shots had been falling I wonder I Walker gets a few more passing lanes for finishes. He will have to take what they give him most nights.
