The new-look Los Angeles Lakers are just a few days away from their first preseason action in the first official action ahead of the start the 2018-19 season.
Head coach Luke Walton has stated on Thursday afternoon that Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets will feature star forward LeBron James in some sort of minutes capacity, according to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints.
LeBron James will play in the season opener on Sunday. Luke Walton wouldn’t share how many mins LeBron will play, though #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) September 27, 2018
This will likely see James play a small total of minutes in order to preserve his health for the start of the regular season. However, it will give James a chance to get a feel of where he will be able to fit into the fold with his new team. It will be the first time that he takes the floor in a game alongside this cast of players that will also need to learn how to adjust playing next to him as well.
James did state on Thursday that he doesn’t expect to play much in the preseason, but also made it clear that he is open to whatever the coaching staff has in mind for him over the six exhibition games in the next couple of weeks. There shouldn’t be much playing time for James, but it should see him get some minutes to get his legs under him a bit to get used to playing in a game.
This should see limited action for other key players on the roster as it will be done for precautionary reasons through the course of the preseason. It is an entirely new feel for Walton and the coaching staff to see what lineups work on the floor best together and the type of game plan that helps put his players in the best position to succeed. Nonetheless, Sunday will mark the first time that James will be donning a Lakers uniform in a game.
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