Lakers Rest Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic for Sunday’s Preseason Matchup Against Warriors
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick confirmed that Austin Reaves will not play in Sunday night’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Reaves joins Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero on the inactive list.
Gabe Vincent, who managed a lingering knee problem during training camp, is expected to make his preseason debut. He missed multiple practices and sat out Friday’s opener against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Springs.
Projected Lakers lineup
With Reaves sidelined, Vincent is likely to start alongside Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton. The Lakers struggled to score without Reaves on Friday, and Redick noted that few defensive sets have been installed so far, setting up another difficult test against a Warriors squad planning to use its starters for the first half.
Warriors plan to play core group
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he intends to play Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green through the opening two quarters, giving Los Angeles its first look at a full-strength Golden State lineup this preseason.
Managing workloads for key Lakers
Redick emphasized caution with Reaves, James and Doncic, all expected to carry heavy minutes in the regular season. Doncic, who participated in EuroBasket over the summer, will miss his second straight preseason contest despite being healthy. “Our expectation is Luka will play in the preseason,” Redick said Friday. “We’re going to use next week to get him in a good spot with his body and energy.”
Following Sunday’s game, the Lakers will have a week of practice before closing out their preseason schedule with four games.
Source: Lakers Nation
