Walker Kessler cannot play all 48 minutes of an NBA basketball game. Well, he technically could, but that really should not be the gameplan for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Golden State Warriors matchup will allow JJ Redick a chance at some early evaluations of what works when Kessler sits.
Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney are the alternatives at the five when the Lakers starting center needs to rest. Featuring either one of those two will come with understandable issues in controlling the paint. Deterring shots at the rim on defense is a primary concern, in particular.
Stephen Curry aside, the Warriors are not exactly stacked with elite offensive options from a star or role player perspective. They are also generally a more perimeter-oriented team. 49.7 percent of Golden State's shots last season were taken from behind the 3-point line. That led the league.
If the Lakers cannot keep the Warriors from scoring at the rim during the non-Kessler minutes in the season opener, that is a telling sign of a real concern for Los Angeles. Redick must prove his schemes are capable of overcoming the roster-building flaws of his team.
JJ Redick must position Lakers defense to survive without Walker Kessler
How much will Kessler play in the season opener? It would be fair to estimate that number comes in around 30-34 minutes. That leaves the Lakers with 14-18 minutes to navigate without him being on the court to bail out his team's defense down low.
As mentioned, the Warriors are not exactly a downhill basketball team. However, there is one particular mismatch the Lakers should be worried about getting exploited.
Yaxel Lendeborg is a physical force who is capable of bulldozing his way to the basket. Coming in as an older prospect has allowed the Warriors forward to arrive with an NBA-ready body built to withstand the physicality of the league. That could pose problems.
The Lakers wings do not have an immediate answer as to who can slow down the more big and bruising forwards of the NBA. That is especially true with Adou Thiero set to miss the Warriors matchup. Yaxel should have a favorable head-to-head as a result.
When Kessler is on the court, the Lakers center can at least provide resistance when Lendeborg beats his man on the way to the basket. If Steve Kerr can manage his minutes properly, getting Yaxel out there in the stretches of Walker being off the court could provide a rare — in the sense that Golden State enters this game without many — mismatch in the Warriors' favor.
Can Redick find defensive coverages for those moments that prevent the type of bleeding that is possible? Or, does JJ just eat that loss and try to go strength for strength by having the Lakers' firepower match what they are giving up? Preferably, it would be the former.
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