KCP will be out tonight with hip soreness (not an injury) ,while Alex Caruso is also out with sore hip. According to Vogel, AD and LeBron will play some first-half minutes
James, who will turn 36 later this month, signed a two-year, $85 million extension this offseason and the 27-year-old Davis inked a five-year, $190 million pact to remain in L.A. as the stars will look to defend the Lakers’ title.
Both James and Davis sat out L.A.’s first two preseason games against the LA Clippers to rest. The team is easing the pair’s workload after training camp opened up just seven weeks after the Lakers finished off the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Oct. 11.
“I just want to see them go out and try to get a rhythm,” Vogel said. “Get comfortable with some of their new teammates and try to get their legs under them a little bit. We’ve been trying to intentionally every day monitor the amount of work put on those guys after the shortest offseason in history and that will be no different with these next two preseason games.
The Lakers open up the season in one week, Dec. 22 against the Clippers, and then host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day.
James told reporters that with the offseason additions of Dennis Schroder and Marc Gasol as playmakers, he won’t necessarily reprise his role as point guard for the 2020-21 Lakers, after leading the league in assists last season for the first time in his career.
“Every year causes for whatever that challenge presents itself,” James said on a video conference call Tuesday. “So, if it presents to me to be the primary ball handler and also try to lead the league in assists or to make sure I am being at the forefront of getting guys involved, then I can take that responsibility every single action. If our team doesn’t need that this year, then that’s absolutely fine as well.”
