Walker Kessler

For 13 seasons and counting, seeing the words “Draymond Green” and “help defense” in the same sentence often meant a combination of the worst kind for anyone facing the Golden State Warriors. Feeling the energy of Salt Lake City’s crowd during February 5, 2025’s frenetic comeback, Walker Kessler confirmed that two could play at that type of game. Something of a shot-blocking machine throughout the game’s final two minutes, the Utah Jazz’s gifted center clocks in for patrol duty, offsetting Stephen Curry’s heads-up pass by rotating over to meet Golden State’s All-Star forward squarely at the rim. Defensive Player of the Year-like against a player who once raised the award, Kessler sends Green’s layup attempt away to set up a runout and ultimately, a teammate’s go-ahead trifecta. Behind by 11 at the 2:55 mark, Utah — spurred by contributions across the rotation — surged for a signature come-from-behind victory. Outstanding throughout, Kessler collected a double-double, producing 15 points (on 7-of-9 shooting), along with 18 rebounds, two assists, and three rejections.