...
By Gabe Smallson
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, 103-81, but superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic were absent.
More news: Lakers’ LeBron James, Bronny James Shamed by Former No. 1 Pick
Read More on NBA
James is still nursing a nerve issue as he looks to begin season No. 23, but Doncic has been dealt with just as cautiously, given his recent involvement in the high-intensity EuroBasket tournament.
The Lakers recently announced that Doncic wouldn't be active for Sunday's contest against the Golden State Warriors either.
...
Head coach JJ Redick recently spoke on the plan for ramping Doncic back into NBA play, and whether that includes a possible appearance in the preseason or not.
More news: Russell Westbrook Connected to Surprising Team Late in NBA Free Agency
“We’re gonna use next week to continue to just get him in a good spot, with his body and his energy and all that stuff,” Redick said. “He was great the first two days at camp; it was a lot. It made sense, given his workload this summer, to just kind of pull back. He’s in a great place physically and mentally. We’ll just continue to use next week to just get him ramped up and get all the guys acclimated with him.”
The Lakers will play the Warriors on Sunday in San Francisco, and play them once again a week later in Los Angeles. There will be three more preseason games that week ahead of the Lakers' first regular-season game of the year, also against the Warriors, home at the Crypto.com Arena.
When Will Luka Doncic Return?
Redick seemed hopeful that Doncic will play this preseason and still get some action in before his first full season in the purple and gold begins.
Doncic last played competitively on Sept. 10, the quarterfinals of EuroBasket. He is also coming off a tumultuous 2024-25 season that included an in-season trade that shook the basketball world to its core. In said season, he put up averages of 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field.
More news: Report: Warriors Have Trade Interest From 3 Teams in Jonathan Kuminga
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines