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    Walker Kessler underlines Team USA depth, makes most of extended run

    Team USA 12th man shows he's still an NBA rising star
    Sep 1, 2023
    Walker Kessler Ahmad Dwairi USA vs Jordan
    Walker Kessler tries to block Ahmad Dwairi's shot.
    PHOTO: Patrick Romero

    WALKER Kessler underlined the depth of Team USA as he made the most of his extended run in the team’s 110-62 win over Jordan in the last game of the 2023 Fiba World Cup first round on Wednesday.

    The Utah Jazz center came into the game seeing the least amount of action among his teammates with just 3.4 minutes in his first two games.

    But with the Americans already clinching a berth to the second round, coach Steve Kerr had the luxury to make some experiments and take a look other combinations, including putting Josh Hart in place of Brandon Ingram in the starting lineup.

    “The tricky part with Fiba is you only have a few weeks to figure out year team,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said. “We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group and see if the combinations fit. And I liked what I saw.”

    "Obviously, the game wasn’t competitive, but there was good flow with both groups,” he added.

    READ: Walker Kessler, Team USA complete Round 1 sweep with 48-point rout of Jordan

    Kessler also had an increased run with the second unit as he ended up quadrupling his playing time average against the Jordanians, playing almost 12 minutes and finishing the game.

    Kessler, the third-youngest on the team after Paolo Banchero and Anthony Edwards at 22 years old, doesn’t mind being the team’s 12th man.

    “Let’s call it what it is: we beat every team. That’s the most important thing. Coaches have done a great job. Obviously, having twelve guys on a team that are all very good players, it’s very difficult to play all those guys,” Kessler admitted.

    Walker Kessler USA Vs New Zealand

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    “But any given night, anyone can go out there and play well. All the guys are cheering for each other. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of,” he added.

    And in his nearly 12 minutes on the court, Kessler showed what he can do, scoring eight points and blocking three shots.

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      The tallest player in the team at 7’0”, Kessler will continue to stand tall when his number is called.

      “We got all great guys in our team. It speaks a lot to USA being an organization, who they pick. The more we play, the more we go together. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.

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      Walker Kessler tries to block Ahmad Dwairi's shot.
      PHOTO: Patrick Romero
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