The official Walker Kessler thread

[KGdaBom]

I think the sticker shock of “big white guy” really hit the fan base hard (look no further than the guy here who tried to compare him to Paul Grant). I get the skepticism, but also listening to interviews the past few weeks I think he’s exactly what the staff wanted.

Big white guy who can’t shoot, has limited offensive skill, too slender to set a decent screen, and poor lift. Watch him play. The guy needs a running start to dunk the ball. Lower body looks weak and just don’t see him staying healthy. He’s a huge project and will not be as impactful in open NBA game. I think it was a waste of a pick.

Sensible thing would have been to take Branham at 19 when he was there and I think we’ll regret not doing so.

I'll disagree with almost everything you said.
You start your comment with racism. What does the color of his skin have to do with anything?
He's 256 pounds. He's not too slender to set screens. He needs no running start to dunk the ball. He came from a basketball family and has been trained in every nuance of basketball he could be from a very early age. He is pretty far from being a project as his being the college DPoY would indicate. He's expected to be one of the more impactful rookies. He shot poorly from 3 is about the only thing you are accurate about.

[TheZachAttack]

Here is a great Reddit post.
https://www.reddit.com/r/timberwolves/comments/vku3zb/all_3_of_these_walker_kessler_clips_are_super/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Watch Kessler’s feet and hips (this is against Eason so a legit NBA FRP and athlete). Can he stay with Curry? No, but I see a pretty special athlete mobility wise for his size. Really curious to see how it plays.

[younggunsmn]

I think the sticker shock of “big white guy” really hit the fan base hard (look no further than the guy here who tried to compare him to Paul Grant). I get the skepticism, but also listening to interviews the past few weeks I think he’s exactly what the staff wanted.

Big white guy who can’t shoot, has limited offensive skill, too slender to set a decent screen, and poor lift. Watch him play. The guy needs a running start to dunk the ball. Lower body looks weak and just don’t see him staying healthy. He’s a huge project and will not be as impactful in open NBA game. I think it was a waste of a pick.

Sensible thing would have been to take Branham at 19 when he was there and I think we’ll regret not doing so.

I get the downside but I don't agree with your overall assessment, and I'm more prone to pessimism than most here.
When I read the part I've bolded in your quote I think of 190 lb Chet Holmgren and not 250lb Walker Kessler.
I just think we haven't seen this type of big here for a very long time so it's very hard to evaluate, because the upside of the positive impact he can have on the court if he hits his ceiling (or even makes it 80% of the way there) is just tremendous.
Far more than anyone else we could have drafted at 19.

Everyone wants to fixate on the Miami game in the tournament and forget about the first round when he was one block from a triple double.

I see a guy with a decent drop step and spin move and decent touch around the glass.
I see a serviceable shooting motion that needs some tweaking and will get better with a little more grown man strength,
but with a high release his shot is going to be close to unblockable.
I see a guy who is a threat to dunk without a dribble or catch a lob anywhere inside of 8 feet.
I see a guy who can block/alter shots without even leaving his feet.
I think there's definitely offensive upside there, more than Mark Williams.
People forget how good that Jokic/Plumlee offense was and I can't wait to see what Finchy draws up with another true big to go with KAT. It will be horns action for days.

He's only 20 years old and I can't wait to see what he can do after a couple of years of professional NBA strength and agility training and an NBA shooting coach. I'll wait until year 3 to judge this pick.

Teams are going to try to ISO him on the perimeter and his angles are going to have to be perfect because at his size he won't have much room for error. But they tried that in college too. There was some bad tape, but for the most part I thought he held his own pretty well.

We were drafting at 19. Finding a rotation player is a base hit. Okogie wasn't a bust and he was just a bit roleplayer.
I'm old enough to remember watching Luc Longely walking out of the tunnel in Target Center, and thinking, that's a big human being.
I remember what a draft bust I thought he was being picked at 7 because his stats sucked. Fast Forward and he's a 10 year starter and anchoring the D on multiple championship teams.

[younggunsmn]

Here is a great Reddit post.
https://www.reddit.com/r/timberwolves/comments/vku3zb/all_3_of_these_walker_kessler_clips_are_super/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Watch Kessler’s feet and hips (this is against Eason so a legit NBA FRP and athlete). Can he stay with Curry? No, but I see a pretty special athlete mobility wise for his size. Really curious to see how it plays.

Those 2 blocks on eason were impressive, especially the recovery because eason put some good moves on him.

[LibertyPrime]

Watch him play. The guy needs a running start to dunk the ball.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but this claim interested me - most players in the NBA do need or at least usually use a running start, but Kessler is 7+ feet, so it would be weird if he did. So I did some digging. I can find at least 3 dunks in this clip that don't involve a running start.

Watch on YouTube

First is a pivot and dunk at 2:07, second is a hesitation step and dunk at 5:23, and then the very last play in the clip is a catch-and-dunk near the basket. Plenty enough evidence to suggest he can get up there when he needs to, and no, he doesn't need a running start.

[Krapinsky]

I think the sticker shock of “big white guy” really hit the fan base hard (look no further than the guy here who tried to compare him to Paul Grant). I get the skepticism, but also listening to interviews the past few weeks I think he’s exactly what the staff wanted.

Big white guy who can’t shoot, has limited offensive skill, too slender to set a decent screen, and poor lift. Watch him play. The guy needs a running start to dunk the ball. Lower body looks weak and just don’t see him staying healthy. He’s a huge project and will not be as impactful in open NBA game. I think it was a waste of a pick.

Sensible thing would have been to take Branham at 19 when he was there and I think we’ll regret not doing so.

I'll disagree with almost everything you said.
You start your comment with racism. What does the color of his skin have to do with anything?
He's 256 pounds. He's not too slender to set screens. He needs no running start to dunk the ball. He came from a basketball family and has been trained in every nuance of basketball he could be from a very early age. He is pretty far from being a project as his being the college DPoY would indicate. He's expected to be one of the more impactful rookies. He shot poorly from 3 is about the only thing you are accurate about.

I was just quoting Klomp, ask him.

Time will tell who is right. My money is on me.,

[KGdaBom]

Big white guy who can’t shoot, has limited offensive skill, too slender to set a decent screen, and poor lift. Watch him play. The guy needs a running start to dunk the ball. Lower body looks weak and just don’t see him staying healthy. He’s a huge project and will not be as impactful in open NBA game. I think it was a waste of a pick.

Sensible thing would have been to take Branham at 19 when he was there and I think we’ll regret not doing so.

I'll disagree with almost everything you said.
You start your comment with racism. What does the color of his skin have to do with anything?
He's 256 pounds. He's not too slender to set screens. He needs no running start to dunk the ball. He came from a basketball family and has been trained in every nuance of basketball he could be from a very early age. He is pretty far from being a project as his being the college DPoY would indicate. He's expected to be one of the more impactful rookies. He shot poorly from 3 is about the only thing you are accurate about.

I was just quoting Klomp, ask him.

Time will tell who is right. My money is on me.,

People seem to think racism rules don't apply when it comes to the NBA. It pisses me off. Judge not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my skill. I mentioned him being White in a post in the context of people making negative assumptions of him. You stated he was white then went on to make negative assumptions about him that were almost all wrong.

[shrink]

Plus, he’s an Atlanta guy just like our own superstar in the making (Ant). Can I see a bromance form like other great SG/C pairs? You bet!

Atlanta bromance? Sure why not.

Or a little extra trade value in a John Collins (hopefully not a Capella) deal? Usually a deal like this would be done on draft night, but this Collins stuff appears to have gotten worse post-draft .. maybe he expected to be traded on draft night? Anyway, having local ties can only be seen as a plus, with many in the front office likely to have seen his games, and perhaps easier future contract negotiations if he wants to stay in his hometown.

[Krapinsky]

I'll disagree with almost everything you said.
You start your comment with racism. What does the color of his skin have to do with anything?
He's 256 pounds. He's not too slender to set screens. He needs no running start to dunk the ball. He came from a basketball family and has been trained in every nuance of basketball he could be from a very early age. He is pretty far from being a project as his being the college DPoY would indicate. He's expected to be one of the more impactful rookies. He shot poorly from 3 is about the only thing you are accurate about.

I was just quoting Klomp, ask him.

Time will tell who is right. My money is on me.,

People seem to think racism rules don't apply when it comes to the NBA. It pisses me off. Judge not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my skill. I mentioned him being White in a post in the context of people making negative assumptions of him. You stated he was white then went on to make negative assumptions about him that were almost all wrong.

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you.

These are not ‘negative assumptions’ The fact is that compared to most NBA centers he is less athletic, he is not a great leaper, has poor lateral quickness, lacks discipline, bites on pump fakes, very poor shooter, very bad passer, and is turnover prone in the post. I actually LOL’d by the video highlights of him dunking. Only to see him playing a one man volleyball game reminiscent of Kevin Love. Yes, he is able to gather and dunk when he has enough space, but for the most part he’s not paying above the rim. It’s a fact that his coach thought he was prone to being too stiff and lumbering, and so Pearl would tell him to act like a PF out there.

I will say he has good timing and instincts— he has to make up for his lack of athleticism. He also know his limitations and role—doesn’t try to do too much.

But I don’t see the upside. If everything works out for him I think he becomes a back up 15 minute per game player. I think it’s more likely he just doesn’t make it at all—which, if we’re playing odds is more likely than not given he was taken #22.

[shrink]

Let me ask this:

Is this pick considered a miss if Towns and Kessler don’t share the floor regularly? Towns has averaged 33-37 MPG, and is particularly healthy for a big man, rarely missing games. If Kessler is exclusively a back up, is this too big an investment? Or does this indicate Finch plans to play Karl as a PF more this season?

[shrink]

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you

The only thing I want to hear less on these boards than race is a person claiming moral superiority on the topic.

[Krapinsky]

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you

The only thing I want to hear less on these boards than race is a person claiming moral superiority on the topic.

Sigh.

1. Klomp makes the assumption that comparing Kessler to Grant is because they are big white guys.
2. I use Klomp’s big white guy phrase.
3. I get accused of being racist.
4. I can’t push back apparently because now I’m claiming moral superiority.
5. I’ll just give myself a time out.

[KGdaBom]

I was just quoting Klomp, ask him.

Time will tell who is right. My money is on me.,

People seem to think racism rules don't apply when it comes to the NBA. It pisses me off. Judge not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my skill. I mentioned him being White in a post in the context of people making negative assumptions of him. You stated he was white then went on to make negative assumptions about him that were almost all wrong.

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you.

These are not ‘negative assumptions’ The fact is that compared to most NBA centers he is less athletic, he is not a great leaper, has poor lateral quickness, lacks discipline, bites on pump fakes, very poor shooter, very bad passer, and is turnover prone in the post. I actually LOL’d by the video highlights of him dunking. Only to see him playing a one man volleyball game reminiscent of Kevin Love. Yes, he is able to gather and dunk when he has enough space, but for the most part he’s not paying above the rim. It’s a fact that his coach thought he was prone to being too stiff and lumbering, and so Pearl would tell him to act like a PF out there.

I will say he has good timing and instincts— he has to make up for his lack of athleticism. He also know his limitations and role—doesn’t try to do too much.

But I don’t see the upside. If everything works out for him I think he becomes a back up 15 minute per game player. I think it’s more likely he just doesn’t make it at all—which, if we’re playing odds is more likely than not given he was taken #22.

Deleted. Apparently not correct.

[KGdaBom]

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you

The only thing I want to hear less on these boards than race is a person claiming moral superiority on the topic.

Sigh.

1. Klomp makes the assumption that comparing Kessler to Grant is because they are big white guys.
2. I use Klomp’s big white guy phrase.
3. I get accused of being racist.
4. I can’t push back apparently because now I’m claiming moral superiority.
5. I’ll just give myself a time out.

You got accused of making a racist comment. Not accused of being a racist. One poor comment does not a racist make. There's a difference.

[Krapinsky]

People seem to think racism rules don't apply when it comes to the NBA. It pisses me off. Judge not by the color of my skin, but by the content of my skill. I mentioned him being White in a post in the context of people making negative assumptions of him. You stated he was white then went on to make negative assumptions about him that were almost all wrong.

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you.

These are not ‘negative assumptions’ The fact is that compared to most NBA centers he is less athletic, he is not a great leaper, has poor lateral quickness, lacks discipline, bites on pump fakes, very poor shooter, very bad passer, and is turnover prone in the post. I actually LOL’d by the video highlights of him dunking. Only to see him playing a one man volleyball game reminiscent of Kevin Love. Yes, he is able to gather and dunk when he has enough space, but for the most part he’s not paying above the rim. It’s a fact that his coach thought he was prone to being too stiff and lumbering, and so Pearl would tell him to act like a PF out there.

I will say he has good timing and instincts— he has to make up for his lack of athleticism. He also know his limitations and role—doesn’t try to do too much.

But I don’t see the upside. If everything works out for him I think he becomes a back up 15 minute per game player. I think it’s more likely he just doesn’t make it at all—which, if we’re playing odds is more likely than not given he was taken #22.

You make all those inaccurate assumptions based on the color of his skin. That is absolutely racism. It pisses me off.

False and defamatory.
I’ve reported this post, and I’ll just leave it at that.

[KGdaBom]

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you.

These are not ‘negative assumptions’ The fact is that compared to most NBA centers he is less athletic, he is not a great leaper, has poor lateral quickness, lacks discipline, bites on pump fakes, very poor shooter, very bad passer, and is turnover prone in the post. I actually LOL’d by the video highlights of him dunking. Only to see him playing a one man volleyball game reminiscent of Kevin Love. Yes, he is able to gather and dunk when he has enough space, but for the most part he’s not paying above the rim. It’s a fact that his coach thought he was prone to being too stiff and lumbering, and so Pearl would tell him to act like a PF out there.

I will say he has good timing and instincts— he has to make up for his lack of athleticism. He also know his limitations and role—doesn’t try to do too much.

But I don’t see the upside. If everything works out for him I think he becomes a back up 15 minute per game player. I think it’s more likely he just doesn’t make it at all—which, if we’re playing odds is more likely than not given he was taken #22.

False and defamatory.
I’ve reported this post, and I’ll just leave it at that.

Well they're inaccurate and you led off making them by saying big white guy. That led me to believe that his race was the basis for your inaccurate assumptions. I'll take your word for it that your inaccurate assumptions were not based on race and retract my statement that they were based on race. What was the basis for your inaccurate assumptions? He's got solid athleticism, quite good lateral quickness, excellent discipline, bites on pump fakes less than most, plays well above the rim, dunks everything. If you actually watched him play with an open mind you would not be thinking those things.

[Klomp]

Let me ask this:

Is this pick considered a miss if Towns and Kessler don’t share the floor regularly? Towns has averaged 33-37 MPG, and is particularly healthy for a big man, rarely missing games. If Kessler is exclusively a back up, is this too big an investment? Or does this indicate Finch plans to play Karl as a PF more this season?

No. The front office's job is to build a 15-man roster, not merely a starting 5. Kessler's skill sets are very important for the improvement of the roster, even if *just* a backup.

There are plenty of draft picks who flame out and don't see a second contract. If he plays his role well and gets another deal four years from now either here or elsewhere it shows he was more than worthy of being a 22nd overall pick.

[life_saver]

Watching the highlights, this dude doesn't look like a 7 footer. He looks much more agile and mobile than your typical 7 footer

[Klomp]

Spare us all the white racism card. Oh the poor talk white NBA’ers! Such victims of racism with internet scouting bias! Are you honestly for real? People suffer from actual racism in this world, and this kind of both sides thinking is what is actually harmful. To think this actually pisses you off says way more about you

The only thing I want to hear less on these boards than race is a person claiming moral superiority on the topic.

Sigh.

1. Klomp makes the assumption that comparing Kessler to Grant is because they are big white guys.
2. I use Klomp’s big white guy phrase.
3. I get accused of being racist.
4. I can’t push back apparently because now I’m claiming moral superiority.
5. I’ll just give myself a time out.

Maybe it was a poor assumption on my part. But to be fair, you never expounded on why you made that comparison. So seeing a big white guy compared to a big white guy with no explanation given, it would seem to communicate to others on the surface that there's at least a little bit of that going on. There's a bunch of those types of comments on social media too. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Just talking about race does not make a comment racist, so I'm not sure why people were jumping down your throat for that.

I do wonder if Kessler's draft stock was affected at least somewhat by that fact too. Sure there are exceptions like Holmgren, but I think there is something going on in the subconscious for a majority of scouts and draft pundits. What did Mo Bamba do at Texas that Walker Kessler didn't do at Auburn?

[SO_MONEY]

Let me ask this:

Is this pick considered a miss if Towns and Kessler don’t share the floor regularly? Towns has averaged 33-37 MPG, and is particularly healthy for a big man, rarely missing games. If Kessler is exclusively a back up, is this too big an investment? Or does this indicate Finch plans to play Karl as a PF more this season?

No. The front office's job is to build a 15-man roster, not merely a starting 5. Kessler's skill sets are very important for the improvement of the roster, even if *just* a backup.

There are plenty of draft picks who flame out and don't see a second contract. If he plays his role well and gets another deal four years from now either here or elsewhere it shows he was more than worthy of being a 22nd overall pick.

I say yes, especially with three 2nds you shouldn't hunt players that have roll player ceilings. But as things broke we would have needed to move up in the 2nd from 40 to fill the roll you hope Kessler fills.

Personally I think we as per usual had the players come off the board leaving us with a tier of player that would have questions regardless and no immediately apparent win was possible. We took perceived low upside.