Kessler is definitely not our 2nd best player.I was posting kessler stuff in the neggets gamethread so im gonna put here where it belongs.
I mean Kessler is basically our second best player already (Lauri is our best) if you are talking about production and consistency.
If you want to win then you play your best players more. I domt care who the opponent is, i dont care who else is on the floor. Kessler has played better than everyone not named Lauri and should be on the court more.
Last night was probably Olynyks season low in minutes (16) and we just so happen to have our best game of the season and won the game primarily by defense and rebounding (we outrebounded them by 16!)
Kessler had 16 rebounds (6 offensive) and vando had 14 (8 offensive)
Maybe playing those two together more (and playing olynyk less) can actually work. Maybe we can win by outworking teams and defending teams and crashing the glass. Having conley/NAW, clarkson/beasely, and Lauri/KO out there with vando and kessler would provide enough spacing. Vando is a ball mover and a good cutter and kessler can set good screens and rim run and finish. Then of course we would be much better defensively. Those things have value too.
All I know is that kessler has played himself into the second best player on the team imo. Dude knows his role and plays it perfectly. I would love to see if he can handle more.
I just looked up his stats. He is shooting a ridiculous 73% from the field! For context, that is a way better field goal % than rudy gobert ever had in any of his 10 seasons.
Kessler is averaging 4 blocks per 36. Goberts best season for blocks per 36 is 3.4.
Dude is killing it yet cant seem to ever get more than 22-23 minutes in a game. (Averages 16.9). He almost never gets in foul trouble despite his amazing defense. I remember someone posted a stat a few games ago that we are the best defense in the league when kessler is on the court. Thats crazy. Many of his stats are crazy. He is basically already prime rudy gobert as a rookie.
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2nd best future potential maybe, but not 2nd best player.