Walker Kessler has had so many breakout games already that seeing a stinker catches Utah Jazz fans off guard. Even Mike Conley Jr. admitted to it after the team's 115-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Kessler was coming off monster numbers over his past two games. The Jazz center averaged 15.5 points on 14 of 17 shooting to go along with 12.5 rebounds and 6.0 blocks (!!) in two wins for Utah. He's been one of the best rookies in the NBA this season, which is why his two-point, five-rebound dud against the Hawks was somewhat surprising.
Conley spoke out on the elevated expectations on Kessler's shoulders, via Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune:
“We expect so much out of him that you forget that he's a rookie, that he's 21. You yell at him about something, and then you remember he just doesn't know that.”
If anything, Jazz veterans getting on Walker Kessler for underperforming is a testament to both his talent and poise at such an embryonic point in his career. He's just crossed the 50-game mark and hasn't even started 20 games yet, but some are already pondering whether Kessler alone is already worth the Rudy Gobert trade – never mind the war chest of unprotected first-round picks that came with him.
With Lauri Markkanen being named to his first All-Star team and under contract for a few more years, the Jazz seemingly have their frontcourt tandem of the future. But for now, forgive Kessler for his occasional rookie season duds.