Lakers grant Warriors their wish with major opening night announcement

This will suit Golden State...
Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers | Michael Owens/GettyImages

We might still be days after from the Golden State Warriors opening night matchup with the Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena, but it seems the latter has already announced their starting lineup.

With superstar forward LeBron James sidelined to start the season due to sciatica, the Lakers will reportedly open with a smaller lineup that could work right into the Warriors favor given their own desire to play small.

Lakers are set to smart small against Warriors on opening night

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin on Friday, the Lakers will start the same group that opened their final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings. Veteran guard Gabe Vincent is James' replacement, joining Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.

That's a far smaller team than Los Angeles usually put on the floor, something Steve Kerr will likely be happy with as he configures his own starting lineup for Tuesday's opener. If anything it creates more flexibility for Kerr and the Warriors, particularly in relation to whether they choose to start veteran free agent addition Al Horford or start small with Draymond Green at the five.

Golden State started small in their preseason opener against the Lakers, but that lineup that proved so effective after last season's All-Star break is unlikely to be viable given Moses Moody is doubtful for Tuesday's game due to a calf injury.

Whether the Warriors have another small-ball lineup to go to remains to be seen, otherwise they could enter with a surprise size advantage. While Vincent clearly isn't James from a size or ability standpoint, Golden State will still have to be careful against someone whose earned a starting role thanks to blistering preseason form.

Vincent averaged over 16 points and 3.0 assists on 15-of-27 (55.6%) shooting from 3-point range, having gone for another 14 points in 23 minutes on 4-of-5 from beyond the arc during Friday's 117-116 loss to the Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

Still, the Doncic-Reaves-Vincent combination could have Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler licking their lips based on the defensive concerns of that trio. Curry has been in excellent form in tuning up over the past two games, averaging 24 points in less than 30 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and L.A. Clippers.

Butler has been dealing with an ankle concern that saw him miss the final three preseason games, but the 6x All-Star is expected to return for opening night. Tuesday's battle could be an offensive-minded one based on the Lakers defensive concerns, and with the potential that the Warriors' number one option for Doncic (Moody) is likely to be unavailable.

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