That's 3 rotation wings and a young center gone, and the Clippers still handled the Kings easily. Sacramento was also short, though. The Kings played without Malik Monk and had 2 centers sidelined, so the Clippers' size never got tested. That changes at 7:00 PM PT on Friday, when they face a 7-footer who hasn't missed a shot as a Laker.
The matchup to watch is Lopez against Kessler. With Niederhauser out, the Clippers don't have much depth behind Lopez, and the Lakers just showed they want to pound the ball inside and win the glass. If Lopez gets into foul trouble or tires, Hachimura may end up guarding bigger players than he'd like, and Doncic will find Kessler at the rim every time it happens.
The Lakers' opener comes with its own caveat. Golden State was missing 5 players, shot 22% from three and turned it over 16 times. Steph Curry scored 23 and got little help. Shooting 57% as a team and committing just 6 turnovers is great, but the Lakers won't repeat that against a Clippers team with healthy guards. If Garland can take care of the ball and Dick hits from deep, this stays close well past halftime.
Each team has 1 good night on its record so far. The Lakers have the best player on the floor and, for now, the hottest big man in the league. The Clippers have a guard-heavy group missing most of its wing depth, playing in the Lakers' building. The short trip across town means nobody is tired, so this one comes down to whether the Clippers can survive the paint.