The Los Angeles Lakers may have finally found the missing piece they've been searching for in their frontcourt. After missing the team's first three preseason games, Walker Kessler made his highly anticipated Lakers debut Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, providing an encouraging glimpse of what he could bring to Los Angeles this season. Although the Lakers suffered a 101-89 loss in Las Vegas, Kessler's performance offered plenty of reasons for optimism.
The 25-year-old center finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in just 16 minutes. He shot 4-of-6 from the field and made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. Perhaps the most impressive statistic was how Los Angeles performed with Kessler in the lineup.
The Lakers outscored Golden State by 15 points during his 16 minutes on the court. Without him, the Warriors outscored Los Angeles by 27. Following the game, Kessler admitted that returning to action after such a lengthy absence came with some nerves.
"It was a lot of fun being out there again," Kessler said. Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest." Kessler had not appeared in an NBA game in 347 days after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder that required season-ending surgery in November 2025. His Lakers debut was further delayed when he injured his left pinkie finger during training camp, forcing him to miss the team's first three preseason contests.
However, Tuesday's performance suggested that the extended absence had not prevented him from making an immediate contribution. Lakers head coach JJ Redick was particularly encouraged by what he saw from his new center. "I think he's a great fit for our team," Redick said.
"Thought he did a nice job of running the floor, crashing, had some terrific rebounds in traffic, protected the rim. Just really, really good first half from him." Redick's comments reflect the expectations surrounding Kessler after LA made a significant investment to acquire him during the offseason. The Lakers sent two unprotected first-round picks and two future pick swaps to the Utah Jazz before signing Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
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