Enter the paint at your own risk when Walker Kessler is on the prowl. The Toronto Raptors learned that lesson the hard way as the dynamic Utah Jazz rookie center turned aside two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam’s attempt in the lane before running the break and cashing in on the other end with a powerful alley-oop throwdown. The 22nd overall pick in the draft was a force on both ends, tallying 17 points on 8 of 10 shooting while collecting a team-high 14 rebounds and seven blocks in Utah’s exciting 131-128 victory on February 1, 2023. Kessler was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in 2022-23. · Feb 2, 2023