At the end of the 2024-25 season, there was a push from the Utah Jazz coaching staff for Walker Kessler to take at least six 3-pointers per game. It wasn’t about him making shots. Rather, it was about finding the right times in a game when a 3 made sense and finding comfortability in getting those shots off.
“We emphasized it a lot at the end of last year because I think it was something we had done almost none of and so we wanted to kind of force it into his offensive mix,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “But that word is, ultimately what I want — we need it to be a mixture."
Kessler has established himself as an agile, strong, fast and reliable threat at the rim and the Jazz don’t want to let the opposing team off the hook by taking that threat away. Keeping Kessler close to the rim on both sides of the ball also keeps the other team honest and Kessler is one of the best shot blockers and rebounders in the game, there’s no reason to strip him of his super powers just to get up some jump shots.
But, there are plenty of reasons to want Kessler to be viewed as a stretch-5 threat as well. We’ve seen so much in recent years how valuable it can be, especially in the playoffs, to have a big that can play five-out.
“Offensively, it’s nice when changing the spacing doesn’t require a sub, so also, because Walker does so many great things for us defensively, if you wanted to try to drag somebody else’s defensive big away from the basket and not have to substitute to do that, that’s always a luxury,” Hardy said, back in December.
From Kessler’s perspective, proving that he’s not limited to being a traditional, rim-running big who doesn’t add to spacing is necessary.
“I think it’s vastly important,” he said. “The more that I look around the league — and not that I’m old or anything — going into year four, in order to stay in this league and to be successful, you have to grow your game, every year."
Becoming a threat from beyond the arc, even at a low volume, is something that can contribute to success on the court for Kessler, but it’s also something that can add value when it comes to his next contract — no matter who is footing the bill.
Kessler played in just one preseason game for the Jazz due to a shoulder injury. In that game, he took and made one 3. Expect more of that from Kessler as the 2025-26 season unfolds. He won’t be bombing long balls all game long, but he’ll be looking for his spots.
“I still think that Walker rolling and putting pressure on the rim, Walker cutting and putting pressure on the rim, not only to finish, but to draw the weak side defense to offensive rebound, is something that our team needs,” Hardy said. “But I’m not going to bat an eye at some of those perimeter shots that are taken, as long as it’s within the flow of what we’re doing and the dosage is still correct.”