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Lakers Season Opener: Five things that will happen vs Clippers

By Keith Rivas

GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrati during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY - AUGUST 11: Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrati during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Doc Rivers will be out-coached by Luke Walton

Those wanting the Rivers-led era in Los Angeles for the Clippers to end soon will get their wish to a degree on opening night. Starting your season off with a rough night against the Lakers, even if you win, will be enough to put Doc Rivers on the hot seat again.

Following the departure of Chris Paul to Houston over the summer, concerns over reported nepotism are alarming, as it  was a reason for the relationship between him and Rivers to disintegrate.

Now is going to be the time where Rivers either puts that all behind him and proves he can coach a winning team or not. Struggling against the Lakers shows also that the Lakers are ready to take back the city after being dormant for a few seasons following the retirement of Kobe Bryant.

Luke Walton will be able to use all sorts of young talent and weapons versus a Blake Griffin led team that will have three new starters. Trying to get a good tempo down when there are that many new players will be a hard thing for the Clippers to overcome.

DeAndre Jordan wouldn’t even be in Los Angeles still if it weren’t for the desperate moves that the team made a few summers ago when it was reported that Jordan would be going to Dallas. So in reality, Blake Griffin is the only one who still seems to be on board with the Clippers vision — and it took a lot of money and a long-term deal to make him stay.

While the Lakers might still lose this game, Walton will be able to put his wit to the test and show that in his second year of head coaching, he’s ready to finally find a way to make Doc Rivers irrelevant and shake things up in the city of LA.

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