Historical Auburn come out Walker Kessler opened his third NBA season with 16 factors, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked pictures Wednesday evening within the Utah Jazz’s 126-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Within the 52 seasons that blocked pictures have been an official NBA statistic, Kessler has reworked into nineteenth efficiency in a season opening match with a stat line of not less than 16 factors, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks, and the primary since Anthony Davis did it for the New Orleans Pelicans on October 28, 2014.
The 19 video games come from 16 gamers, with Hakeem Olajuwon doing it thrice and Bob McAdoo doing it twice. Different Naismith Basketball Corridor of Famers who completed the feat embody Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Nate Thurmond and Ben Wallace.
A prep star at Carver Excessive Faculty in Dothan, Gilmore had 20 factors, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks because the San Antonio Spurs opened the 1982-83 season with a 120-114 victory over the Jazz.
A prep star at Central Excessive Faculty in Hayneville, Wallace had 16 factors, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks because the Detroit Pistons opened the 2003-04 season with an 89-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Kessler is the one participant on the checklist with fewer than 11 pictures, because the Utah heart made 6 of seven from the ground towards the Grizzlies.
In his first NBA season, Kessler averaged 9.2 factors, 8.4 rebounds and a couple of.3 blocks per recreation, ending third within the voting for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the 12 months. Final season, Kessler averaged 8.1 factors, 7.5 rebounds and a couple of.4 blocks per recreation. recreation.
“I believe Walker is a really conscientious particular person, and generally that may be a bit of paralyzing,” the Utah coach stated. Will Hardy stated after the match. “He overthinks issues at instances, and I assumed tonight he had a reasonably good steadiness between the components of him that have been pondering and analyzing and the components of him that have been a bit of reckless. These are conversations that Walker and I needed to attempt to free him, to ask him to provide himself a bit of grace. He cannot be that perfectionist taking part in the place he performs within the NBA, and tonight was clearly a great instance of that. and now it is about whether or not we are able to play constantly with that sort of power…
“The work he did this summer time just isn’t enjoyable. All of the younger gamers engaged on their our bodies, it isn’t enjoyable. And that takes numerous dedication and energy and sacrifice, and Walker did these issues. It is nice for him to have this match on opening evening as a result of it reveals him that the work is paying off. We should now proceed the work. However he has rediscovered, or regained, a few of that childlike pleasure that we noticed in Walker early on throughout his time right here. He is an awesome particular person and has an awesome persona. However we wish him to make use of that persona as a power: are you able to give your self the liberty to let go a bit of bit and never be so cautious? And I assumed tonight he did that, and whereas he was throwing, he had a much bigger, stronger physique that he was throwing, so it was type of a coupling of these two issues tonight.
The Jazz will face the Golden State Warriors on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CDT on the Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis of their subsequent recreation.
Mark Inabinett is a sports activities reporter for Alabama Media Group. Comply with him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
