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Two Pacific Division powerhouses, the Phoenix Suns and the LA Lakers, are poised for a significant matchup on Thursday. The Suns, boasting a 3-1 preseason record, will face off against the Lakers, who stand at 2-3 in the preseason.
This matchup carries a host of intriguing storylines. Perhaps the most prominent is the potential showdown between Kevin Durant and LeBron James, marking their first on-court meeting since December 2018.
Adding to the narrative, the Suns' new coach, Frank Vogel, coached the Lakers from 2019-2022, leading them to the championship during the 2020 bubble season.
Here is the projected starting five for the Phoenix Suns and the LA Lakers
Suns: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen
Lakers: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince
Given that it's still preseason and minute allocations and player rotations remain uncertain, here's what we know so far:
Vogel has indicated that he plans to play most of his players against the Lakers.
“We’re going to play most of our guys,” Vogel said on Wednesday. “Try to get our main guys some second-half minutes. I don’t know if we’ll finish the game with them. Try to get them up high 20s/low 30s in terms of minutes. Continue to build their conditioning, get them ready for opening night.”
No players are listed in the Suns’ injury report aside from Damion Lee and the recently waived Ish Wainright.
Vanderbilt is the only Lakers player ruled out for Thursday's game due to his left heel injury. An evaluation is scheduled for Friday, with a determination about his availability for the season opener to follow over the weekend.
Although an official injury report is pending, it's worth noting that LeBron, Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino (knee) were absent from their previous game.
LeBron had indicated his intention to play in half of the Lakers’ six preseason games, and so far he’s only played in two.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham finds himself in the delicate balancing act of fostering team chemistry while carefully allotting playing time, all in pursuit of pinpointing the fifth starter for the team.
Phoenix Suns waive Ish Wainright
The Phoenix Suns waived forward Ish Wainright ahead of the regular season as the Oct. 23 deadline for final rosters looms.
Wainright initially became part of the Suns through a two-way contract at the beginning of the 2021-22 season. He played in 105 games over the past two seasons, tallying a career high in playing time with 15.3 minutes per game in 60 appearances last season.
Wainright averaged 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game last season.
As of now, Phoenix has 16 standard contracts on its roster and still has to release another player as the roster cap is set at 15, and two of the three available two-way spots are occupied by Saben Lee and Udoka Azubuike.
