GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 18: Walker Kessler #13 of the Auburn Tigers reacts with his teammate Allen Flanigan #22 after an and 1 against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 18, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
How does Walker Kessler fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves on both ends?
Minnesota’s struggles with rim protection were especially visible in the playoffs against Memphis, when they allowed the Grizzlies too many opportunities in the paint. Kessler might very well be the answer to that issue.
With him protecting the rim, Auburn held teams to 38.6% shooting, which was the seventh-best in Division 1 basketball that season. Hopefully, Kessler will be able to transfer that skill to the NBA level.
Furthermore, Kessler has proven to be good at playing drop coverage. If he is able to do this on the higher level, it will take some defensive pressure off of Towns, as the T-Wolves star is rather uncomfortable with playing drop coverage, and it often gets him into foul trouble.
Kessler can take over that responsibility, and while he needs to improve his perimeter defense, he is also mobile enough to play high wall coverage. This should add some flexibility to the Timberwolves’ defense.
Offensively, Kessler’s impact will be less significant. Coach Chris Finch likes to play tall, though, and adding Kessler to the roster gives him more opportunities to do that. With both Towns and Kessler on the floor together, they could, for example, man the low post and the high post at the same time.
It also offers Minnesota the option to play Towns as the power forward instead of the center. At first, Kessler probably will not see many minutes on the court as he still continues to grow. He will probably mostly function as a back-up center to Towns and will not play much together with him, but this might change as he becomes more comfortable playing at a higher level.
Either way, Kessler should soon feel comfortable with the young core around Towns and youngster Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves</a> traded the 19th overall pick and a future second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, they received the 22nd and 29th picks that night. With the 22nd pick, they selected Walker Kessler from Auburn University.</p>
<p>With a 7’1”, 255-lb frame, the 20-year-old is a traditional center – a type of player we do not see much anymore. At Auburn, Kessler <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/walker-kessler-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">averaged</a> 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks while shooting 60.8% from the field.</p>
<p>With these numbers, Kessler helped Auburn to an SEC regular-season championship and a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kessler was also voted the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://auburntigers.com/news/2022/6/23/mens-basketball-walker-kessler-goes-in-first-round-to-minnesota-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NABC Division 1 National Defensive Player of the Year.</a></p>
<p>This is a pretty impressive resume for such a young player, but now the question is, how well he will fit in with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the NBA level?</p>
<h2>How does Walker Kessler fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves?</h2>
<p>By drafting Kessler, the Timberwolves addressed the lacking rim protection and rebounding they showed in the 2021-22 season. They actually played an above-average defense, but ranked fourth worse in defensive rebounds in the league, fifth-worst in opponent field goal percentage within three feet, and allowed the second most dunks in the entire league.</p>
<p>Karl Anthony Towns (10.8 rebounds) and Jarred Vanderbilt (7.2 rebounds) were the only players who put up impressive rebounding numbers. Here, Kessler can be a valuable asset and improve the team’s numbers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Offensive and defensive fit </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-446423" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1386281436.jpeg" alt="Walker Kessler, Minnesota Timberwolves" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1386281436.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1386281436-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 18: Walker Kessler #13 of the Auburn Tigers reacts with his teammate Allen Flanigan #22 after an and 1 against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 18, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>How does Walker Kessler fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves on both ends?</h2>
<p>Minnesota’s struggles with rim protection were especially visible in the playoffs against Memphis, when they allowed the Grizzlies too many opportunities in the paint. Kessler might very well be the answer to that issue.</p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032742-walker-kessler-draft-scouting-report-pro-comparison-updated-timberwolves-roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">With him protecting the rim, Auburn held teams to 38.6% shooting, which was the seventh-best in Division 1</a> basketball that season. Hopefully, Kessler will be able to transfer that skill to the NBA level.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Kessler has proven to be good at playing drop coverage. If he is able to do this on the higher level, it will take some defensive pressure off of Towns, as the T-Wolves star is rather uncomfortable with playing drop coverage, and it often gets him into foul trouble.</p>
<p>Kessler can take over that responsibility, and while he needs to improve his perimeter defense, he is also mobile enough to play high wall coverage. This should add some flexibility to the Timberwolves’ defense.</p>
<p>Offensively, Kessler’s impact will be less significant. Coach Chris Finch likes to play tall, though, and adding Kessler to the roster gives him more opportunities to do that. With both Towns and Kessler on the floor together, they could, for example, man the low post and the high post at the same time.</p>
<p>It also offers Minnesota the option to play Towns as the power forward instead of the center. At first, Kessler probably will not see many minutes on the court as he still continues to grow. He will probably mostly function as a back-up center to Towns and will not play much together with him, but this might change as he becomes more comfortable playing at a higher level.</p>
<p>Either way, Kessler should soon feel comfortable with the young core around Towns and youngster Anthony Edwards.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Kessler's fit with T-Wolves core </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-439932" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1356181741.jpeg" alt="Walker Kessler, Minnesota Timberwolves" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1356181741.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1356181741-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 27: Anthony Edwards #1, D’Angelo Russell #0, and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Timberwolves defeated the 76ers 121-120 in double overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>How well will Walker Kessler fit in with Minnesota Timberwolves core players?</h2>
<p>At Auburn, Kessler played with Jabari Smith Jr., a big man who is an excellent shooter and can attack the rim very much like Towns. They played well together, so one can assume that Kessler will also work well together with Towns. Besides that, Kessler also already had a chance to get to know Edwards’s game as they played together at the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopseen.com/news/event/201806/best-nbpa-top-100-camp-opening-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-100 camp</a> in 2018.</p>
<p>Kessler is mostly only comfortable in the paint and is not an especially great shooter outside of it. This should not be a big problem with the Timberwolves though because they already have good shooters.</p>
<p>Edwards, Towns and point guard D’Angelo Russell all shot <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2022.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">between 34% and 41%</a> on three pointers during the regular season. Having a non-shooter who dominates the paint could allow more freedom for Towns to abandon the center position and roam the perimeter.</p>
<p>While Russell’s future with the Timberwolves is not certain yet, he and Kessler should work out well together if given a chance. During the regular season, Russell averaged 6.7 assists and is very capable of setting up shots for players who are not able to create for themselves. Kessler will certainly benefit from having a point-guard like that around him.</p>
<p>Russell is best in pick-and-roll situations and Kessler can be a solid partner for him as he sets good screens and offers many options after the pick-and-roll. He can dunk on lop-passes or score easy layups off bounce passes, but he is also a good passer for a player of his size. If his scoring options should be denied, he can find the baseline cutter or an open shooter.</p>
<p>Even though certain details about the Timberwolves’ roster next season are still unclear, it seems that Walker Kessler should fit in well with their existing core and fill some gaps defensively.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 Dejounte Murray trades for the Spurs" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/26/nba-trades-dejounte-murray-san-antonio-spurs/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/27/walker-kessler-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/26/nba-trades-dejounte-murray-san-antonio-spurs/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 Dejounte Murray trades for the Spurs </a> </div>
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