On Wednesday, LeBron James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that he was unsure whether or not he'd be making an on-court appearance during the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason games. James told McMenamin, "I don't know. I don't need preseason games [at this stage of my career] to get ready."
While LeBron certainly doesn't need to be on the court for the preseason games in order to be ready for the 2018-19 campaign, it also wouldn't hurt to get some extra reps with his new teammates. McMenamin writes, "A source close to James told ESPN that the star forward's "joy" coming from being in his new surroundings could cause James to play a little more in the preseason than he normally does, but that James still will save himself, for the most part, for the real thing."
According to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers head coach Luke Walton confirmed today that #23 will see some action against the Denver Nuggets in the preseason opener.
Lonzo Ball, who continues to recover from surgery on his left knee, is not expected to play Sunday. The Lakers have reportedly already decided that Rajon Rondo will start at point guard in the beginning of the season while the second-year PG get back to full strength.
In total, the Lakers have six preseason games on the schedule including two games against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the lead up to the regular season. The Lakers will open the regular season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 17 in a game that will air on TNT at 10:30pm.
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