The NBA is back, although the Charlotte Hornets weren't part of the opening night slate. That gave fans the opportunity to tune in to the games, one of which saw the Los Angeles Lakers lose to the Golden State Warriors in frustrating fashion. One might be unable to help but wonder how things would have turned out if the Lakers had not erred in reversing the Mark Williams trade at last season's trade deadline.
Without Williams on the roster to man the paint, the Lakers opted to take a chance on Deandre Ayton. One game in, and it seems like they have a big predicament in their hands, as the former No. 1 pick failed to impress in his Purple and Gold debut.
Ayton finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes of action, which aren't bad numbers, especially since he shot 5-7 from the field. On the flip side, he committed four turnovers and looked lost on the floor, while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves tried to carry the LeBron James-less Lakers squad against one of its rivals.
Some of the team's fans may have been quick to change their mind about the big man, as he also proved why any trade idea involving his transfer to the Hornets was pretty ill-advised.
Mark Williams could have made Lakers more competitive
Of course, it's just the first game, and Ayton has the potential to improve and be the anchor Los Angeles needs. However, the squad would probably be in a better state if it had Williams in the place of one of its summer acquisitions.
On offense, Williams would have likely given Doncic and Reaves a more reliable pick-and-roll partner, as Ayton admitted to being a "confusing" target in that scenario for the Lakers' playmakers after their loss to the Warriors. The current Phoenix Sun showed promise as a brick wall and rim-runner during his time in Charlotte.
Another of Williams's strengths that would have helped Los Angeles on Tuesday was his knack for crashing the glass. Ayton certainly frustrated the Lakers faithful in the season opener with his lack of resolve in grabbing rebounds, with Doncic doubling his production on the boards, 12-6.
Some might argue that Williams, at times, being a cone on defense would hurt the Lakers, but Ayton isn't that much better of a defender. Interestingly, both of them have incredible lengths that they have yet to maximize when protecting the rim.
It remains to be seen, though, if Williams can stay on the floor enough for Los Angeles to truly regret nixing its trade with the Hornets last season.
\Whatever the case may be, Charlotte is most likely going to end up as the winner of that non-trade, as it was able to ship the 23-year-old center this summer in exchange for a 2025 first-round draft pick that it used on a potential steal of the draft in Liam McNeeley, Vasilije Micic (whom the organization was able to flip for a pair of second-rounders and the apparently very valuable Pat Connaughton), and a 2029 first-round draft selection.