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I've changed my mind on Walker Kessler

Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:13 am
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:13 am
He would be great for this team. Even if we gave him a 3-4 year 25mil per deal then we would have him and Missi under $30mil for 3 seasons and can make a decision year 4. If we can get him with Hawk/ (1) pick/ swaps then you do it IMO. (2) 1st is tough but it would also set us up for a while.

Murray/ Fears/
Poole/ Herb/
Trey/ Bey/ Peavy
Zion/ Looney/ Queen
Kessler/ Missi/ Karlo

Kessler only costs $4.9mil this season and I believe we have $5.5mil space from the tax. We can essentially add Kessler and still create $8-$10mil using Jose/ Hawk. If we do that then we are pretty much (1) good SG away from a complete team.
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 9:22 am
Posted by SEC Doctor
Member since Aug 2024
9962 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:32 am to
quote:

He would be great for this team.


The Pels used first-round picks last year, this year and next year on two young centers. Not to mention signing a veteran free agent center.

They are not trading for Kessler.
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:38 am to
quote:

The Pels used first-round picks last year, this year and next year on two young centers. Not to mention signing a veteran free agent center.

Picking a player #21 in a draft should have nothing to do with upgrades unless that player is a true starter day 1. Missi can be good but he's not that.

Queen would be a PF/C hybrid and has nothing to do with adding a 7' shot blocker and defensive big. That is exactly the player we don't have.

The only thing worse than trading picks is reading picks and not filling all of the team needs. Since we already started trading picks and adding players I'd rather not stop now knowing what this team needs.

You can't compare Missi/ Queen/ Looney to Kessler and that's why we should get him and need him. Looney is also on a 1 yr contract so that's a mute point.

Would you rather us trade for a PG/ SF because that makes less sense from a depth standpoint.

We can just run it but we aren't getting far with just Missi. It almost makes it worse to do our trades and not still fill that spot at center.
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 9:43 am
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:39 am to
Y'all want us to get better but would rather play mediocre players than upgrade or have them compete against better players. You know what's better than Missi starting 25min a game? Someone better than him practicing against him every single day and giving us options/ defense. And Missi can still play 25min a game.

We have (2) needs:
Starting center/ defensive center
Shot creating SG/ sniper
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 9:41 am
Posted by Macintosh
Leveraging Salaries University
Member since Sep 2011
55560 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:49 am to
I’d do that shamit trade idea to get Kessler or something along those lines.

I agree tho. If you can get Kessler without giving up a lot. I’d do it
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:58 am to
quote:

I agree tho. If you can get Kessler without giving up a lot. I’d do it

We could pay Kessler and still stay out of the tax the next 2 seasons. At that point you would only have to move (1) of Poole/ Murray/ Zion. So we can add Kessler and be 100% set at SF/ C for 5+ years with Kessler/ Missi + Trey/ Peavy/ Herb.

What do you consider a lot? Picks are meaningless to me if we are competing so (1) 1st + (2) swaps or (2) 1st is not make or break. If we are making moves with the expectation for our 28' / 30' picks to be good picks then we are already fricked.

We have nothing to lose and only time to waste by not doing these types of moves. I'd rather try to compete with Zion before we let him go without really trying.
Posted by duyp
Member since May 2011
3312 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 10:38 am to
Sucks how this year was stacked with bigs and we drafted a tweener in Queen. I hope he becomes good but Beringer, Sorber, Hansen, Kalkbrenner or even Yang Hansen seems to fit better. We would’ve given up next year protected first instead. I’m still wondering how Queens pace is going to fit with the whole team.
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 10:53 am to
quote:

Sucks how this year was stacked with bigs and we drafted a tweener in Queen. 

Agreed we said we planned to fix center and we are currently starting Missi and signed a 6'9" tweener on a 1 yr deal. That's not promising.

I personally think Queen had nothing to do with Center. We have not had another true backup PF on our team since Randle and he doesn't even really count. That was a huge position of need and even moreso considering Z's health.

I'm less worried about us choosing Queen > drafting a center and more worried about us possibly not having a real plan at center other than pray Missi isn't mid.
Posted by AOC4PREZ2028
Member since Apr 2025
305 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 11:11 am to
quote:

we are currently starting Missi and signed a 6'9" tweener on a 1 yr deal.


This is such a disingenuous argument. You don't need to bend the truth to make your point.
Posted by NOSHAU
Member since Feb 2012
13471 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 11:13 am to
quote:

Picking a player #21 in a draft should have nothing to do with upgrades unless that player is a true starter day 1. Missi can be good but he's not that.
How do you know? Kessler was drafted #22. Missi started more games and played more minutes and had similar stats to Kessler in his rookie year. Kessler is a nice player but very easily played off the court. Not worth investing multiple assets for IMO at this point.
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 11:22 am to
quote:

How do you know? Kessler was drafted #22. Missi started more games and played more minutes and had similar stats to Kessler in his rookie year. Kessler is a nice player but very easily played off the court. Not worth investing multiple assets for IMO at this point.

How do I know what? I just said I didn't. I do know that it definitely isn't worth the risk. This isn't a Missi vs Kessler comparison. Why does it always have to be a comparison? The point is to have both of them while knowing you filled the gaps/ fit.

To be worried about Kessler "being played off the court" while you argue the impact of an already lesser defender does not compute.

Best case scenario you have (2) starting centers for $30mil going forward. Worst case scenario (1) works out and the other doesn't. Compared to relying on Missi and end up with possibly 0 starting centers and compromising the entire team/ season.

I don't want Kessler > Missi. I want Kessler + Missi. And more importantly I don't want just Missi.
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 11:39 am
Posted by brmark70816
Atlanta, GA
Member since Feb 2011
11147 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 11:57 am to
I have changed my mind on Queen. I don't think he's a PF, at least not full-time. I believe he plays the vast amount of his minutes as a Center for the next couple of seasons.

We are heavy with wings, so it makes sense that we will roll with a one big line-up in a majority of games. When we go "big" (with Queen or Matkovic at PF), it will be match up specific. Otherwise we'll play kind of small. Given the extension we gave Jones, the starters seem set with Poole (units Murray is fully healthy), Jones, Zion, Murphy, Missi. It doest make sense to bench one of those to start another big..
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 12:08 pm to
quote:

Given the extension we gave Jones, the starters seem set with Poole (units Murray is fully healthy), Jones, Zion, Murphy, Missi. It doest make sense to bench one of those to start another big..

It definitely makes sense to start a defensive center and bench Herb if Murray is back 100% healthy and starting. Its easy for people to defend that argument because we don't have a defensive center to argue that point against and we certainly aren't trading Herb for one.

Herb has to close games, not start them. If he plays 30min either way then it doesn't matter.

We had Murray/ CJ/ Trey/ Zion. Last year. That doesn't change with Poole. Herb isn't just magically starting over him or a healthy Murray. Could we trade (1) of those guys if they don't fit? Sure but if we don't then Herb will be off the bench once Murray is starting.
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 12:14 pm
Posted by GOP_Tiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2005
20657 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 12:20 pm to
quote:

Kessler is ... very easily played off the court.


No, he's not. I don't want to be endorsing the OP, because I think that it's a bad practice to base decisions like this off of meaningless summer league performances, but Kessler is a defensive rock and an elite rebounder. He's not easily played off the court ... not at all.
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 12:29 pm to
quote:

I don't want to be endorsing the OP, because I think that it's a bad practice to base decisions like this off of meaningless summer league performances,

Well if it makes you feel better I have wanted someone to start over Missi since we drafted him. SL has a minimum impact on this thread, only heightened the urgency. Either way Missi is not a guaranteed stud and we have no backup plan.

We made many effective moves this year that can easily be minimalized by having a weak center rotation.
Posted by TooFyeToFly
Atlanta, Georgia
Member since Nov 2012
2046 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 1:15 pm to
Kessler is not going to elevate this team. He is what he is at this point, and it's not enough to move the needle for us.
Posted by Dantheman504
N/A
Member since Jun 2013
5772 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 1:19 pm to
quote:

Kessler is not going to elevate this team. He is what he is at this point, and it's not enough to move the needle for us.

As opposed to not having a defensive minded 7' on the roster? Not having Kessler and only having Missi moves the needle closer? Y'all want to shut down my point but refuse to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

You can't seriously think Kessler doesn't move the needle for us while simultaneously thinking Missi is our savior.
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 1:21 pm
Posted by PELsu
Member since Oct 2021
1708 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

Kessler is not going to elevate this team. He is what he is at this point, and it's not enough to move the needle for us.


What does that even mean? lol

Kessler was fourth in the league in blocks per game as a rookie, and has been second the last two years behind only Victor Wembanyama.

He’s only 24 this coming season, and has a career per 36 of 13.4 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.4 blocks on 68% from the field.

He would help any team he played for. A lot. Especially ours.

Posted by NOSHAU
Member since Feb 2012
13471 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 3:05 pm to
quote:

No, he's not. I don't want to be endorsing the OP, because I think that it's a bad practice to base decisions like this off of meaningless summer league performances, but Kessler is a defensive rock and an elite rebounder. He's not easily played off the court ... not at all.
Have you watched his games? He is very easily played off the court. He is a terrible screener and is very slow footed. Teams, particularly late in games can easily play him off the court. He is not a true all around center (which is tough to find) and not worth anywhere close to what Utah wants for him. I would love to have him as a rim protector for a much lesser cost (protected 1st maybe).
This post was edited on 7/14/25 at 3:08 pm
Posted by NOSHAU
Member since Feb 2012
13471 posts
Posted on 7/14/25 at 3:06 pm to
quote:

This isn't a Missi vs Kessler comparison. Why does it always have to be a comparison?
Because you are advocating giving up assets to bring in another player over Missi. I like Kessler, but am not willing to give up what it would take to get him. I do not think he improves this team enough to warrant the cost.
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