It should be expected with the shortest offseason in NBA history that the first preseason game of the season for the defending champions would be handled by players other than L.A.’s two superstars who put together the most dominant two-man run this league has seen since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in the earlier part of the 2000s.
After the Lakers’ latest training camp practice on Tuesday, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel visited with the media and said it’s ‘probably likely’ that the Lakers will sit LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Frank Vogel says it is “probably unlikely” that LeBron and AD play in the Lakers’ preseason opener Friday against the Clippers.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 8, 2020
The Lakers, of course, also have the regular-season opener against the Clippers exactly two weeks from today on Dec. 22, when they will receive their 2019-20 championship rings. They will then play again on Christmas Day against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. According to Vogel, LeBron has looked the part in the first few days of training camp but they also don’t want to waste an effort on preseason games in an already shortened offseason, especially for your soon-to-be 36-year-old superstar.
