Kessler Went 12-for-12 Because Nobody Was Home at the Rim
The trash talk got the headlines, but the opener was lost in the paint, and Charles Bassey's knee matters more on Thursday than Yaxel Lendeborg's words.
The Lakers beat the Warriors 127-105 after leading by 35, and Walker Kessler made all 12 of his shots. Golden State never led by more than three and won only the fourth quarter, after the game was already decided.
Where did it go wrong?
Not at the three-point line. The game had 10 ties and sat at 49-48 Lakers with 3:21 left in the second quarter. Then the Lakers ran 9-0 into the break and 8-0 out of it, and a one-point game was 76-54 barely three minutes into the third. Kessler finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes, perfect from the floor, a +24. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went a combined 19-for-19 at the line. A team that cannot protect the rim either gives up the layup or fouls. Golden State did both.
One creator, no anchor
Curry was the only starter who looked like himself: 23 points on 15 shots, 7-for-7 at the line and two steals in 21 minutes. He was still a -22, and so was Draymond Green in the same 21 minutes. At halftime Curry had 20 on 7-of-13 and the rest of the starters had 14, per NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson. The starters finished with 49 points and the bench with 56. That split doesn't show depth. It shows a lineup with one shot creator and nobody at the back of the defense who changes a shot.
The grades
Curry, B: efficient and aggressive, undone by everything around him. Lendeborg, C: 12 points on 5-of-11 with no turnovers in 29 minutes, but a -21. ESPN's Anthony Slater reported that the rookie said he had "lost all respect" for Doncic, who answered with 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a +31. Graham Ike, B-plus: 8 points on 2-of-3 shooting, a block and a +12 in 12 minutes, the best number on the team. The Warriors won the fourth 37-25 with the deep bench on the floor, LJ Cryer scoring 9 and Ike 8. That is a footnote, not a finding.
What changes Thursday?
Bassey and Brandin Podziemski both have an estimated return of Thursday against Memphis. For this particular problem, Bassey matters more. He gives Steve Kerr another body to put between the ball and the rim, and Al Horford, at 40, cannot cover all of those minutes. Zach Edey is on the Memphis roster, and he averaged 11.1 rebounds in his 11 games last season. ESPN's preview centers on Jerome after a 45-point game. The Warriors then play in Phoenix the next night. One loss at 0-1 and 11th in the West is a standing, not a verdict. Handing another center a perfect night would be one.
Why did the Warriors lose to the Lakers in the season opener?
The Lakers turned a 49-48 game late in the second quarter into a 35-point lead with 9-0 and 8-0 runs around halftime, and Walker Kessler went 12-for-12 from the field. Golden State's biggest lead all night was three.
Will Brandin Podziemski and Charles Bassey play against the Grizzlies?
Both have an estimated return date of Thursday, October 23, against Memphis, but neither has been confirmed to play. Bassey's return would give the Warriors more size at the rim, which is what the Lakers exposed.
