The NBA announced today that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has been named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played during February. It marks the first Rookie of the Month accolade for the 21-year-old center.
Kessler (7-1, 245, Auburn) averaged 10.6 points on 68.9 percent from the field, along with 11.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks in 29.1 minutes per contest during 11 games (all starts) in February. His 3.2 blocks per contest ranked second among all NBA players during February and he was the only rookie to average a double-double for the month.
The Atlanta-native was selected to represent the Jazz at the Jordan Rising Stars game in Salt Lake City as part of the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he played for Team Deron. He was also a member of Team Jazz during the 2023 Kia Skills Challenge, which alongside teammates Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, took home first place.
Kessler becomes the fifth player in franchise history to garner Rookie of the Month honors, joining Karl Malone (Dec. 1985), Trey Burke (Dec. 2013 & Jan. 2014), Rodney Hood (March/April 2015), and Donovan Mitchell (Dec. 2017, Jan. 2018, Feb. 2018, and March/April 2018).
Here is a closer look at some of the month’s highlights for Kessler:
Feb. 10 at Toronto: Finished with a career-high 23 points on 10-of-12 from the field, also grabbing nine boards in a 122-116 road win against the Raptors.
Feb. 28 vs. Oklahoma City: Grabbed 18 boards, swatting seven shots, and scoring seven points in a 120-119 overtime victory vs. the Thunder.
Feb. 1 vs. Toronto: Logged 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks, and a steal, taking down the Raptors 131-128.
Feb. 23 vs. San Antonio: Blocked five shots, grabbed 12 rebounds, adding nine points and two assists in a 118-102 victory against the Spurs.
Kessler shares February Rookie of the Month honors with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero who received the accolade in the Eastern Conference.