Walker Kessler says finger is ‘good,’ Lakers coach JJ Redick expects him to play in preseason

Los Angeles center Walker Kessler entered the Lakers’ preseason window with a minor but noticeable concern: he jammed a finger on the backboard during training camp and, as of early October, had not yet appeared through the team’s first three preseason games. Yet Kessler and head coach JJ Redick both conveyed confidence that the situation is not serious and that his return is approaching.

According to the report from Yahoo Sports, Kessler characterized his finger as “good,” indicating that whatever discomfort he experienced has not escalated into a longer-term limitation. In the same update, Redick expressed an expectation that Kessler will be available to play during the preseason, framing his return as a matter of timing rather than a cause for alarm.

For a team built around interior presence, the difference between “available soon” and “out for multiple games” can affect how a rotation is stabilized. The Lakers’ coaching staff typically uses the preseason to refine roles for the regular season, especially at center, where matchups, spacing decisions, and rim protection responsibilities are central to the team’s identity.

Kessler’s presence matters not only for his individual defensive impact but also for the way it can organize the rest of the group. A reliable big who can set the tone around the basket influences how defenders play the paint, how quickly perimeter players can recover on drives, and how confidently the team can switch or hedge pick-and-roll actions.

The report also places the finger incident in context: it happened during training camp on the backboard, and the early-season timeline reflects that the Lakers proceeded cautiously after the jam. Even when teams expect a player to return quickly, they often manage hand injuries with additional attention because limited grip strength, discomfort with shooting mechanics, or pain during contact can linger even when the injury is not severe.

Still, the tone from both player and coach is the clearest indicator available from this early stage: Kessler’s own assessment and Redick’s expectation point toward a manageable recovery. In-season, that kind of optimism does not guarantee immediate game minutes, but it does suggest the Lakers are not viewing the injury as a situation likely to force a multi-week absence.

As the preseason continues, the key question becomes how the Lakers will integrate Kessler once he is cleared to play and whether the coaching staff will ramp him through a standard workload or use the remaining preseason games to tighten specific facets of his game. If he appears soon, the Lakers will likely prioritize getting him back into defensive coverage patterns and set plays that require clean hand placement and comfort.

From a broader perspective, this is the sort of late-camp bump that teams hope will resolve before the regular season fully locks in. With Redick expecting him to play and Kessler describing the finger as good, the Lakers appear positioned to add their interior option back to the rotation without major disruption, but the final confirmation will come only when he takes the floor in an actual game setting.