nypost
Luka Doncic was careful not to read too much into one game, but the Los Angeles Lakers' 127-105 season-opening win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena was a display of offensive precision that was hard to ignore. The Lakers sliced through the Warriors' defense with such ease that the word "effortless" seemed appropriate, even if Doncic hesitated to use it.
"Even if it looks easy, it's not easy, for sure," Doncic said. "But that's just the first game. Our ceiling is even higher." That final remark should send a shiver down the spine of the rest of the league.
The Lakers' offseason roster reconstruction around Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler focused on surrounding them with players who can dribble, pass, and shoot—players who can capitalize on advantages and create new ones within the same possession. That vision was on full display against Golden State, which allowed 66 points in the paint. Combined with 24-of-27 free-throw shooting, the Warriors had no answer for the Lakers' offensive flow.
Los Angeles shot 61.7% from the field through three quarters before garbage time, and while the team went just 11 of 28 from beyond the arc, the quality of looks inside the arc made the perimeter shooting unnecessary. "Oh man, it's beautiful," Ziaire Williams said. "Sometimes just sitting in the corner, just watching like damn, they just make it look so easy. It's pretty impressive, man. Luka and AR, they're great playmakers. Walk has a good feel around the rim. It's a perfect setup, honestly. [There'll] be a lot more of that to come."
Key Analysis
There are caveats, of course. It was only the first game, and season openers can be misleading. Kessler won't routinely post dominant offensive numbers that place him alongside Lakers legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal. The Warriors were undersized and shorthanded. Not every game will look like this one. But the fact that the Lakers found their groove so quickly and convincingly is an encouraging sign for what this group can become—and a reminder that they should not be overlooked in discussions about the best teams in the Western Conference.
Originally reported by nypost.