Lakers overreactions: Walker Kessler trade already worth hefty price after season opener that looked like Wilt, Shaq appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Wednesday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers started out their season with a bang by defeating the Golden State Warriors in blowout fashion at home. This game marked the Lakers debut of Walker Kessler, who didn’t miss any of his 12 field goal attempts en route to a dominant 26-point performance.
Here are two overreactions from the Lakers’ first game of the season.
LA won the Walker Kessler trade
The Lakers raised eyebrows this summer when they signed and traded for Kessler with the Utah Jazz, with some fans believing the team gave up too many assets and money to bring him in.
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However, he certainly answered those criticisms on Wednesday night, torching a Warriors defense that functioned without a traditional big man for long stretches of the night, hammering home an astonishing number of dunks and also protecting the rim on the other end of the floor.
Kessler looked like the ideal big man pairing for Lakers star Luka Doncic throughout the evening, and if he can continue to finish lobs, crash the glass, and protect the rim at this level or close to it, Los Angeles will be more than happy to have given up such significant assets to bring him in.
Luka Doncic will win his first MVP
Luka Doncic had words with Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg throughout the evening on Wednesday, and he quickly gave the former Michigan standout his official Welcome to the NBA moment with a halfcourt shot at the end of the first half, chirping at Lendeborg as he and the Warriors went back to the locker room.
Doncic didn’t necessarily put up a monster stat line, by his standards at least, in this one, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. However, he didn’t need to, as Los Angeles turned this game into a blowout in the third quarter and was able to rest the starters for most of the fourth.
Doncic looked to be in arguably the best shape of his career in this one, and will look to prove that he has put some of his referee antics and defensive shortcomings behind him as he tries to lead the Lakers to success in the post-LeBron James era.
Wednesday was certainly a good start.
Related: Shaq just gave Lakers’ Walker Kessler the funniest new nickname in NBA after Wilt-like dominance