Lakers Can't Match Clippers Depth Even Without Paul George and That's a Major Concern

Who knew that trading half your roster for one player could leave the cupboard a bit bare when it comes to the second unit off of the bench?

The Los Angeles Lakers and marquee addition Anthony Davis took on the Los Angeles Clippers, who were without Paul George, in their season opener. Despite the absence of George, Kawhi Leonard and company still came out on top.

LeBron James managed just 19 points, AD added 25, and Danny Green led the team with 28, yet no other Laker provided double digit scoring.

The Lakers have some serious questions to answer as it pertains to their depth.

The bench scored just 19 points for the Lakers, with Jared Dudley's two 3-pointers making him the joint-highest scorer. Their best reserve, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, didn't score in 27 minutes.

Conversely, the Clippers, who can trot out arguably the best second unit in the league, got 21 points from Lou Williams, 17 from Montrezl Harrell, and 12 from JaMychal Green.

LeBron and AD are undeniably sensational, but they can only do so much. Rob Pelinka assembled a group of misfits and castoffs to fill out this roster, and it didn't pay dividends in the first game of the year. Obviously they'll need time to mesh, but considering the amount of veterans on the roster, it's no guarantee how many sets of fresh legs they'll have in the later months of the season.

And when starters get rested or see their minutes decrease, even more pressure will be thrust upon the bench. That's not something Laker fans should feel confident about.