Walker Kessler sees a Lakers roster built to make life difficult on the other end of the floor, and the newly added center believes that identity can put Los Angeles in the Western Conference race this season.
Kessler said the Lakers have the personnel to become “a nasty defensive team,” pointing to a group he feels has the right pieces to defend at a high level. For a club looking to establish itself among the West’s contenders, that starts with the kind of nightly resistance that travels from one matchup to the next.
The 7-footer arrives with a reputation as a paint protector, and his presence gives the Lakers another interior option as they shape their rotation. Kessler’s outlook is straightforward: if the group commits to the defensive end, Los Angeles has enough on the roster to contend in a crowded conference.
