The Los Angeles Lakers are already finding out how thin their center depth can get, and they haven’t even played a real game yet.
On Monday, with Walker Kessler sidelined by a jammed finger in practice, the Lakers turned to Kevon Looney against the Sacramento Kings and got a useful night from the veteran big man. Looney finished with two points, nine rebounds and three assists in under 18 minutes, and he helped the Lakers build a 26-point halftime lead in a 127-103 win.
That kind of result is exactly why preseason can fool you. Looney looked the part against a Kings team the Lakers handled easily, but the bigger issue is what happens when Kessler misses time again.
The former Utah Jazz center, acquired in a blockbuster sign-and-trade this summer, is expected to get on the floor during preseason and is not in question for the regular season opener against the Warriors later in the month. Still, Monday was a reminder that any absence from Kessler pushes Los Angeles right back toward Looney.
And that is where the concern starts.
Looney’s standing as a dependable rotation piece has been questioned for the past 18 months, and that uncertainty only grew after an underwhelming year with the New Orleans Pelicans. He played just 21 games for a bad Pelicans team and spent much of last season outside the rotation. So while he handled Monday well, the idea of him needing to play a prominent role whenever Kessler is out is a much tougher sell.
The Lakers signed Looney to a minimum contract and did not add another center after the Kessler move, which leaves them vulnerable if injuries pile up. JJ Redick could turn to Sandro Mamukelashvili as a small-ball five for real minutes off the bench, and that is a workable option in stretches. It just doesn’t solve the problem of the games Kessler is bound to miss, especially after he played only five games before season-ending surgery with the Jazz last season.
The Warriors know this kind of roster gamble better than most. The Lakers are taking a similar risk at center, and if it doesn’t hold, it could cost them the leap they’re trying to make.
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