Playing center with Luka Doncic is easy. Deandre Ayton just made some forget that fact for one year. Now that Walker Kessler is with the Los Angeles Lakers, everyone will be reminded over and over just how appealing of a thing it is to be the big man sharing the floor with the Slovenian superstar.
Kessler's Lakers debut was a great start. In the 127-105 thumping of the Golden State Warriors during the season opener, the new starting center in Los Angeles finished the game with 26 points, shooting 12-of-12 from the field, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Kessler played like a star.
It would be unfair to expect him to have that kind of scoring output every night. Not everyone has the depleted frontcourt that Golden State does. However, easy buckets should always be on the menu when playing center on the same team as Doncic.
It is not all Luka for the Lakers either. Austin Reaves is a capable partner for any big man in the league, too. That just adds to the fun. The centers around the league who are feeling unrest in their current homes should suddenly feel emboldened to look at Los Angeles and think of it as their next stop.
Lakers still need frontcourt help behind Walker Kessler and the pitch just got better
Are you an NBA-caliber center? Can you catch lobs and defend the rim at a reasonably acceptable level? If you have answered yes to these questions, a perfect job awaits you in Los Angeles.
This topic is relevant, because the Lakers would still benefit from a little more frontcourt support behind Kessler. There are worse options in the league for spot minutes than Kevon Looney. However, if Los Angeles could add another player built more in the traditional mold of big guys that Doncic likes to play with, it would not hurt in the slightest.
Looney's time on the floor against the Warriors provided some of the less effective minutes from guys in the main rotation. There are going to be matchups where the Lakers can get away with just playing Sandro Mamukelashvili as the backup five. That is especially true when Los Angeles has their full rotation available.
However, some games will require those double big sets of Mamu being utilized as a four off the bench. That currently means turning to Looney.
At the risk of sounding too pessimistic about the three-time champion: Looney is not a bad player. The problem is the Lakers are leaving a lot on the table, particularly on offense, by having him out there with Doncic. If there is a center out there who wants a similar shot diet to what Kessler just had in the opener, and is within reach, both sides should welcome that addition when it comes.
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