Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Walker Kessler leads the NBA with 4.3 offensive rebounds per game.
- His improvement is attributed to increased strength and better technique.
- Kessler's relentless effort and consistency contribute to his career-best rebounding stats.
SALT LAKE CITY — Micah Potter didn't want to hear the humility coming from Walker Kessler.
"I don't know what my offensive rebounding percentage is, but it's not very high," Kessler told a group of reporters in front of his locker following a recent game.
A few lockers down, Potter piped up.
"Yours isn't?" he said. "It's the best in the NBA!"
Now, that isn't quite accurate; Kessler is fifth among qualified big men in that stat, but when it comes to the total number of offensive boards this season, Kessler is at the top of the mountain.
He's averaging an NBA-best 4.3 offensive boards per game — a nearly two-rebound jump from last season.
So what's changed?
"Just tall," he deadpanned.
After being informed he was also tall last season, he conceded by saying he's "mentally tall" now.
Jokes aside, there is some truth to that. Yes, Kessler has gotten bigger; he's about 20 pounds stronger this season, allowing him to hold more ground and fight off players for the ball. But there's more to his offensive rebounding than just some added strength.
"He's doing a better job of just staying on the top side and using his length," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "He's done a much better job of just tipping the ball and keeping it alive."
Some big men do their best defensive end impression and swim move around players to gain inside leverage for offensive boards. Sure, that can work, but it also can take them completely out of position.
"It's kind of all or nothing," Hardy said. "One, because you pick a side and, two, there's a chance the ball goes over your head."
So instead, Kessler has been using his strength to get players a bit off balance and then just reach up and over them. That's something he's tried to copy from Denver's Nikola Jokic.
"Jokic is really good at tipping the ball to himself and keeping it alive," Kessler said. "So I started doing that more."
There are other technique aspects involved — he said he's reading the ball better and crashing more on the high side than on the low side like in years past — but all that aside, he thinks the uptick in boards may just come down to him being more "relentless" when opportunities come his way.
"A lot of times when you set a pick-and-roll and you don't get the ball, it's really rolling to rebound in case it comes off the glass," he said. "Just being relentless and trying to find ways to touch the ball."
Lauri Markkanen has seen an increase in that effort, too.
"He's consistent with the energy," Markkanen said. "And even if he doesn't get it, he keeps the ball alive and gives us extra possessions. ... So to me, it looks like he's just relentless with his effort and keeps going after it."
That's all led to Kessler's best-rebounding stats of his career. He's averaging 11.3 boards per game this season, which is the first time he's ever averaged double figures. And, yes, that includes the NBA-best 4.3 offensive ones.
But he doesn't seem too impressed with himself for that one.
"Cool beans," he said rather flatly. "Just got to keep it going."
The humility strikes again.
