As Portland guard Damian Lillard dribbled by a pair of screens, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler switched onto the six-time All-Star. Lillard hopped behind the 3-point line, popped a shot over the 7-foot-1 defender and put the Trail Blazers up 20-14 with 4:11 left in the first quarter of an NBA preseason game last week.

Welcome to the NBA, rookie.

“Dame’s a heck of a shooter,” Kessler said. “I’m not going to lie. When Dame hit that one step-back on me, I couldn’t help but smile. I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’ I grew up watching Dame. I’ve got a pair of his shoes in my closet. I feel like that’s good defense. It’s good contest.”

Opponents didn’t make a lot of baskets over Kessler last season, when he led the nation in blocked shots at Auburn and won the National Association of Basketball Coaches Defensive Player of the Year Award.

“I will say it’s been a little transition,” Kessler said, “because at college, I switched out a lot and I was stopping the ball from going in. But now it’s like if that guard shoots that floater and I have a hand up and he makes it – guys are going to make shots at this level. Even if you play good defense, guys are going to make good shots, so that’s definitely something I got to get used to in my pride, I guess.”

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After a toe injury kept him out of the NBA 2K23 Summer League, Kessler has played in two NBA preseason games – a 114-82 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 2 and a 118-101 victory over the Trail Blazers on Oct. 4. He had 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 29:56 of court time across the two games.

Kessler got his first blocked shot on a driving floater by Portland guard Keon Johnson.

“I think that from the college level to the professional level, it’s still basketball,” Kessler said about how he fits in the NBA game. “Obviously, the talent is a lot better, but as far as feeling the game, making the right play, being in the right spot, cutting to the basket, slashing. Obviously, I think my size is something you can’t teach. Being able to be in the right spot, get rebounds, block shots.

“I think I have a lot to learn, obviously. I’ve only played two preseason games. But just taking it a step at a time. I think that a lot of guys their rookie year don’t understand the game defensively as well as I think I do.”

The Jazz’s preseason schedule continues at 8 p.m. CDT Tuesday with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs. Utah wraps up its preseason schedule on Friday when the Dallas Mavericks visit Salt Lake City.

The regular season tips off for the Jazz on Oct. 19 with a home game against the Denver Nuggets.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.