Лос Анжелес Лэйкерс багийн хэрэгцээг бүрэн хангаж буй Уолкер Кесслер

Looks like the Lakers got their franchise center.

They needed a bastion down low. They listened to Luka Dončić when he said he wanted Walker Kessler. Rob Pelinka gambled everything to get him.

In his first two games?

Kessler is making Doncic look like a skilled scout. And he’s making Pelinka look like a man with good job security.

The 7-foot-1 center, whom the Lakers acquired over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz, had 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocked shots and three steals in the Lakers’ 125-117 win over the Clippers on Friday.

He had the highest plus-minus (+18) of anyone on the court.

That followed a 26-point performance on 12-for-12 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots in his regular-season Laker debut against the Warriors on Wednesday.

This is who the Lakers wanted. This is who they needed. This is who could turn them into contenders.

Everyone knew the Lakers’ offense was going to be incredible behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But last season, the Lakers ranked 20th in defensive efficiency. They desperately needed to improve.

So, the Lakersgave the Jazz two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to acquire the 25-year-old Kessler, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.

It was a risk.

It meant they wouldn’thave any tradable first-round draft picks for the next seven years. It meant Kessler would make or break this Laker team.

So far, so great.

In his debut against the Warriors, he was the first Laker since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot 12-for-12 in a game. And against the Clippers, he became the eighth Laker to record six blocks and three steals in a game, according to Stathead.

“He’s a fantastic basketball player and I think he’ll continue to get better,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, that was one of the reasons that we wanted him and he was so appealing to us was because of his age and feeling like the fit with our two stars was really good. And [he’s] someone that can continue to grow and become just a fantastic player in the NBA.”

Kessler only played in five games last season after suffering a torn left labrum that required surgery. After missing an entire season of his prime, there were a lot of questions.

What’s his ceiling? Is he going to live up to expectations?Was he really worth the enormous price the Lakers paid for him?

Memories are short in the NBA, especially when a player misses 77 games. But Kessler is silencing his doubters.

“Oh, it’s so much fun,” Kessler said of being back on the court. “It’s so much fun. It was definitely a tougher year for me. But God is faithful. And just to be here now, I’m just so thankful. So thankful for this opportunity. So thankful to be healthy. Just very, very thankful.”

The Lakers need Kessler to develop into an All-Defensive-type player. They need him to complete their Big 3 alongside Doncic and Reaves. They need him to be a force.

He’s checking those boxes.

After the score was knotted at 64-64 at halftime, Kessler took over in the third quarter with his defense, helping the Lakers lead by as much as 14 points in the period.

“It just felt like Walker was everywhere in that third,” Redick said. “…There were multiple times [in the game] where it felt like they had a layup and he either came over and blocked the shot or created an altered shot.”

Kessler’s next game will meld his future with his past as the Lakers travel to Utah to face the Jazz.

For Kessler, it’s a return to where he spent the first four seasons of his career.

“I’m so excited to compete against those guys,” he said. “Coach [Will] Hardy does a great job with that franchise and my past teammates are really talented, really competitive. So I think it’s going to be a very competitive game and I’m just excited to go compete.”

But for the Lakers, it’s a reminder of how far they’ve come.

They emptied their treasure trove for Kessler.

And so far, every pick they gave Utah was worth who they got in return.

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