Scouting Report
Strengths
Runs well to the rim which results in easy layup and dunk opportunities in transition.
Nice finishing touch around the rim and is able to be a lob threat when operating as the roll man in the pick and roll.
Rebound well. He is able to get tough contested rebounds in crowds.
Blocks and alter shots while jumping vertically and not fouling making it tough for the offensive player to draw fouls or finish around the rim.
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Weaknesses
When defending the perimeter, Kessler is slow and either gets blown past by opponents, or his opponents would shoot from mid-range and three-point range for an uncontested shot.
Is hesistant in switch defending, especially against smaller & craftier guards, as he prefers to be on the block and near the restricted area to contest bigs
Is not a shooting threat by any means, even with his decent shooting mechanics, teams will often not contest his shots past 6-10 ft.
Is on an island when he is left to defennd in an iso, or transition, situation with an athletic/skilled wing or guard
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Summary
Walker is one of the best rim protectors in the draft; he has good instincts blocking shots and regularly keeps the ball in play. He runs the floor well, leading to high percentage dunks and layup opportunities in transition. He can operate in PnR action; as the roll man, he has good hands allowing him to catch tough passes and finish in traffic at the rim. If he can find his shooting stroke, he'd be the still of the draft.
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Video
Honors
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
AP All-American Third Team (2022)
First Team All-SEC (2022)
McDonald's All-American (2020)
Nike Hoop Summit (2020)
Mr. Georgia Basketball (2020)
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Statistics
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Reports
Notes
USAB Mini-Camp – Minneapolis, MN – 4/4 – 7/2019
Has good hands and footwork around the basket. Uses a series of shots fakes to get his shot off. Showed the ability to shoot the ball from the 3pt line in PnP action.
USAB Mini-Camp – Colorado Springs, CO – 7/26 – 28/2019
Showing nice patients in the post letting teammates cut through before making his move. Show the ability to pass from the block and the elbow. Also did a good job protecting the rim, has good timing.
GHSA State Playoffs – Atlanta, GA – 2/26/2020
Rebounded the ball very well, securing several offensive rebounds and putbacks. Protected the rim as he blocked and altered shots. Finished well around the rim scoring over both shoulders, even stepped out and knocked down a 3pt shot from the top of the key.
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Offers
Kessler is a star rim protector and will succeed guarding bigs in the future. However, he currently struggles defending outside of his position, as he is in the 37th percentile of defensively versatile bigs. Kessler actually holds his opponents to 37% from 2, and fares decently well in switches, but he struggles defending the 3, and when matching up against wings. He also fouls far too often.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18KqQhshbRMYS_H5Xhxzrkv3tJT0PoYIK/view?usp=sharing
This data was hand-tracked by AJ Wahl and Bryon Cook. Every single defensive possesion of each player's season was analyzed. This dataset includes all possessions when the defender is guarding on-ball, in man-to-man, and against a player not within their position group who shoots the ball, is fouled, or commits a turnover. The percentile listed above is a players standing compared to their postion group calculated by compliling and weighing various different metrics derrived from the hand-tracked data. This data only measures a portion of a player's impact, but it is clear that the ability to defend out of one's position group is a vital skill to contributing to winning basketball at the professional level.