<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jazz-news-utah-rookie-walker-kessler-get-shocking-team-usa-confirmation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rookie Walker Kessler gets shocking Team USA confirmation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Kessler.jpg"></figure><h1>Jazz rookie Walker Kessler gets shocking Team USA confirmation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-14T18:46:46-07:00">June 14th, 6:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-14T21:27:48-07:00">June 14th, 9:27pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David is in his first season as an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is based in Los Angeles and currently covers basketball at every level from NBA/WNBA to men/women college and boys/girls high school.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz started off the 2023 NBA season as one of the more surprising teams in the league. While they were initially projected to join <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-trade-talks-shut-down-2023-nba-draft" rel="noopener">the Victor Wembanyama tanking sweepstakes</a>, they were in the midst of the Western Conference playoff picture up until the final weeks of the regular season. Since they missed the playoffs, they will have a lottery pick at No. 9 overall. While they will get a chance to add a lottery talent to this roster, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-kyle-lowry-challenges-walker-kessler-epic-finals-moment" rel="noopener">already have one</a> in Walker Kessler. Although Kessler was drafted late in the first round, he is a lottery talent. On Wednesday, Walker Kessler took the next leap in his career <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1669147573179801602?s=20" rel="noopener">being named</a> to Team USA for the upcoming FIBA World Cup as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has committed to play for Team USA's FIBA World Cup team this summer in the Philippines, sources tell ESPN. Kessler had an All-Rookie season, averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks</p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1669147573179801602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Kessler was traded on draft night to the Minnesota Timberwolves who then traded him to the Jazz. He started out with sporadic playing time, but by midseason he was a fixture in the Jazz rotation and in the starting lineup. He even made a late push for the Rookie of the Year race.</p><p>During the season, Kessler averaged 9.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots with splits of 72 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 51.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Walker Kessler will now get a shot with Team USA to prove himself on the international stage. The FIBA World Cup is set to tip-off on Aug. 23 and run until Sept. 10.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rookie Walker Kessler gets shocking Team USA confirmation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jazz-news-kyle-lowry-challenges-walker-kessler-epic-finals-moment');   ga('set', 'title', '‘What’s the next step?’: Kyle Lowry challenges Jazz rookie Walker Kessler in epic NBA Finals moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/What_s-the-next-step-_-Kyle-Lowry-challenges-Jazz-rookie-Walker-Kessler-in-epic-NBA-Finals-moment.jpg"></figure><h1>‘What’s the next step?’: Kyle Lowry challenges Jazz rookie Walker Kessler in epic NBA Finals moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-03T21:51:23-07:00">June 3rd, 9:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-03T21:51:23-07:00">June 3rd, 9:51pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Utah Jazz rookie Walker Kessler was without a doubt <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-walker-kessler-goes-nuclear-insane-stat-line-shaq" rel="noopener">one of the biggest steals</a> of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Jazz snagged the former UNC and Auburn standout as the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, and he turned out to be a real gem for Utah. Kessler established himself as one of the top rim protectors in the entire league, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-all-rookie-teams-revealed-paolo-banchero" rel="noopener">his efforts were rewarded</a> with a call-up to the All-Rookie first team.</p><p>The NBA provided Kessler with an opportunity to link up with Miami Heat veteran Kyle Lowry now that the latter is in the NBA Finals. The Jazz youngster got to ask Lowry for some advice, and it turned out to be a real learning experience for Kessler.</p><p>For starters, Lowry praised the 7-foot-1 big man for a “great year” with the Jazz. The veteran then provided some sage advice for Kessler in a heartwarming big-brother moment:</p><p>“First off, you’re on a great start, right? You’re in a great situation,” Lowry said. “You got great coaches, great organization, that’s one. I think the next thing is that you have to figure out and continue to better your basketball individual game (and) better in taking care of your body.</p><p>“You gotta never be satisfied with just being All-Rookie team. You gotta be ready. Now, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1665141133935083520?s=20" rel="noopener">what’s the next step?</a> Playoffs, All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, stuff like that. That’s gotta be the mindset.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"He knows who I am, wow."</p><p>2023 NBA Finals media correspondent Walker Kessler gets some advice from Kyle Lowry!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAFinals</a> presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTubeTV</a> <br>MIA/DEN Game 2: Sunday, 8 PM ET on ABC <a href="https://t.co/5erCEZyynh">pic.twitter.com/5erCEZyynh</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1665141133935083520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That’s some great stuff right there from Lowry. Even Kessler himself seemed a bit overwhelmed as the Jazz stud asked if he could bring out a piece of paper to take note of all the knowledge Lowry just dropped on him.</p><p>Right now, Walker Kessler is on the right path, and so long as he keeps his head in the right place, the sky’s the limit for this young man.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘What’s the next step?’: Kyle Lowry challenges Jazz rookie Walker Kessler in epic NBA Finals moment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-walker-kessler-have-hilarious-exchange-ahead-of-nba-finals-game-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Jokic, Walker Kessler have hilarious exchange ahead of NBA Finals Game 2');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Jokic-Kessler.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic, Walker Kessler have hilarious exchange ahead of NBA Finals Game 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-03T13:30:42-07:00">June 3rd, 1:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-03T13:30:42-07:00">June 3rd, 1:30pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David is in his first season as an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is based in Los Angeles and currently covers basketball at every level from NBA/WNBA to men/women college and boys/girls high school.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat have two days of rest before retaking the court for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Each team has had media availabilities though in the days between games. While much of the focus until Sunday’s game will be on what the Heat can do to make adjustments and avoid getting stuck in a 2-0 hole, some of the media availabilities <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murray-hilariously-called-out-by-bennedict-mathurin-during-nba-finals-presser" rel="noopener">are light-hearted and humorous</a>. Nuggets star Nikola Jokic found himself in the middle of one of those exchanges when he found himself <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1665069803667636225?s=20" rel="noopener">fielding questions</a> from a ‘reporter’ by the name of Walker Kessler from Kessler Sports Fan Page.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Walker Kessler: "Just wanna know, how are you doing?"</p><p>Nikola Jokic: “I like it! Doing good, it’s rainy today, so.”</p><p>Kessler: “Listen, my day got brighter when I saw you.”</p><p>Wholesome interaction between Jazz center Walker Kessler and Nikola Jokic 😂🙌<a href="https://t.co/9j0gfVXyVD">pic.twitter.com/9j0gfVXyVD</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1665069803667636225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I know you get a lot of questions about basketball and everything,” Kessler said. “I just want to know how are you doing, how are you feeling?”</p><p>Jokic responded with, “Doing good, it’s rainy today.”</p><p>At the end of the exchange, Kessler ended his time by telling Jokic, “Awesome, thank you, big fan!”</p><p>For a young rookie center like Walker Kessler, learning and studying Nikola Jokic might not be such a bad idea. Kessler just finished up an impressive rookie season during which he was in the running for the Rookie of the Year Award. Kessler averaged 9.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots with splits of 72 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 51.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>In comparison, during Jokic’s rookie season he averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 51.2 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 81.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Kessler would be wise to pay close attention to Jokic during the NBA Finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic, Walker Kessler have hilarious exchange ahead of NBA Finals Game 2

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jazz-news-walker-kessler-voter-ruining-paolo-bancheros-unanimous-roy-bid-defends-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Walker Kessler voter ‘ruining’ Paolo Banchero’s unanimous ROY bid defends picking Jazz center');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jazz-news-Walker-Kessler-voter-_ruining_-Paolo-Banchero_s-unanimous-ROY-bid-defends-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Walker Kessler voter ‘ruining’ Paolo Banchero’s unanimous ROY bid defends picking Jazz center</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-04-13T22:16:17-07:00">April 13th, 10:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-04-13T22:16:44-07:00">April 13th, 10:16pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The eye test versus analytics debate can get pretty ugly sometimes. Both camps ardently stick to their views, and it has become increasingly difficult to find common ground. The latest instance centers around the 2022-23 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-why-paolo-banchero-is-ways-ahead-rookie-of-the-year-race-orlando-coach" rel="noopener">NBA rookie of the Year</a>. One voter immediately put an end to Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero’s <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1646678020260872192" rel="noopener">unanimous bid</a> by instead deeming <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-ex-jazz-owner-pursue-league-expansion-franchise" rel="noopener">Utah Jazz</a> center Walker Kessler to be the more worthy candidate.</p><p>Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune <a href="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1646680161738444800?s=46&amp;t=hc5NrTRIWu5hhJBvuuWS9g" rel="noopener">explained his reasoning</a> for the pick, which he claimed had nothing to do with him covering the Jazz. It was all about the numbers.</p><p>“Basically… the advanced stats all favor Kessler, and I’ve always been an analytically-oriented voter,” Larsen Tweeted. “I think I would have made this vote even if I covered another team.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Basically… the advanced stats all favor Kessler, and I've always been an analytically-oriented voter. I think I would have made this vote even if I covered another team. </p><p>Here's where the rookies rank in EPM, and here's what I wrote in explaining my vote. <a href="https://t.co/bmYd0RQEwI">pic.twitter.com/bmYd0RQEwI</a></p><p>— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) <a href="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1646680161738444800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The graphic he posted shows how Kesssler was the superior rookie in the advanced metrics, notably blowing Banchero away in Estimated Plus-Minus (+2.1 to -0.9). Essentially, Larsen is arguing that Kessler, with his 2.3 blocks per game and a win share of 7.1, elevated his team while on the floor whereas the Magic were statistically better with Banchero on the bench.</p><p>Of course, it is a little more complicated than that. Banchero was forced to shoulder a heavy offensive load on an inferior team. The result was a 42.7 field goal percentage and 29.8 percent from 3-point range. Volume and and production- 20 points and 6.9 rebounds per game define his case for the award. However, he certainly looked the part of a future cornerstone throughout the season. And that is an intangible that will garner much consideration in this process.</p><p>Larsen’s argument did not convince other voters, as evidenced by NBACentral. The Kessler vote not only prevents Banchero from joining an exclusive group of perfect ROY ballots, but it also flooded the beat writer’s mentions on Twitter. He will be defending his vote for a long time.</p><p>But he seems perfectly fine with that. Perhaps, he is but the first to barrel through the wall, with more writers looking to his analytics-driven approach for Rookie of the Year in the coming years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Walker Kessler voter ‘ruining’ Paolo Banchero’s unanimous ROY bid defends picking Jazz center

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jazz-news-walker-kessler-crushing-injury-update-rookie-campaign');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz’s Walker Kessler dealt crushing injury update that ends impressive rookie campaign');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jazz-Walker-Kessler.jpeg"></figure><h1>Jazz’s Walker Kessler dealt crushing injury update that ends impressive rookie campaign</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-04-03T11:34:55-07:00">April 3rd, 11:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-04-03T11:34:55-07:00">April 3rd, 11:34am</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After leaving the court in the second half their loss against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spencer-dinwiddie-drops-truth-bomb-after-nets-nearly-choke-away-23-point-lead-vs-jazz" rel="noopener">Brooklyn Nets</a> after sustaining a head injury, Utah Jazz rookie center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-walker-kessler-exits-game-nets-possible-season-ending-concussion" rel="noopener">Walker Kessler</a> has <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1642945940641452032" rel="noopener">entered the league’s concussion protocols</a>, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.</p><p>This will likely end Kessler’s season, as there are only four games remaining on the regular season schedule for the Jazz.</p><p>However, with the Jazz holding a 36-42 record and just 1.5 games back from the 10th-place Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the play-in tournament, the 21-year-old Atlanta native could still suit up down the line in 2022-23.</p><p>As of now, Kessler leads the league in field goal percentage at 72.0 percent, with his hands and size allowing him to be a terrific safety net around the rim. This skill doesn’t just allow him to be a highly efficient finisher though, as he also uses the traits to his advantage on the glass.</p><p>The 7-foot-1, 245-pound big man averages 8.4 rebounds per game, with 3.1 of them coming on the offensive end. For a team with a number of players that love to score around the rim, his ability to clean up after them has been a major reason that their offense has been surprisingly effective.</p><p>In fact, the Jazz have the ninth-best offensive rating in the league at 116.1 while holding the sixth-best scoring average (117.1).</p><p>Defensively, Utah is uninspiring as whole with them ranking 24th in both opponents points per game (117.8) and defensive rating (116.7). However, if they didn’t average the fourth-most blocks in the league (5.4), there might be no need to discuss their chances of reaching the play-in tournament.</p><p>Hopefully, Kessler can continue his rookie season past this week. If not though, at least the Jazz know that they have a highly valuable player on the roster. Perhaps even a franchise cornerstone.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.5	10.7	1.6	2.9	0.5

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.5	10.7	1.6	2.9	0.5

Walker Kessler

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Jazz’s Walker Kessler dealt crushing injury update that ends impressive rookie campaign

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