West Notes: Lakers, Luka Doncic, Spurs, Dylan Harper, Warriors

Lakers

Luka Doncic is set to make his Lakers preseason debut, and he’ll get more than a cameo, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

Coach JJ Redick said that Doncic will play in two of Los Angeles’ final four preseason games, though it’s unclear which ones. The Lakers face Golden State, Phoenix, Dallas and Sacramento to close out their schedule.

Doncic has been easing back into team work after a long summer with Slovenia at EuroBasket.

“I had (the) national team,” Doncic said. “Playing one month or something of basketball. Obviously it’s a long season ahead, so just because of that.”

He also addressed playing without LeBron James, who will miss several weeks with sciatica.

“It’s a big change,” Doncic said. “But our mentality needs to be next man up. Hopefully LeBron can join us soon. We’re going to obviously need him.”

Redick’s lineup decisions are still in flux. Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton are locked in as starters, while Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia remain in the mix for the final two spots.

Spurs

The Spurs finally got their first look at rookie guard Dylan Harper, and the early signs were promising.

After sitting out the first two preseason games while recovering from thumb surgery, Harper debuted Friday and made an immediate impact.

The No. 2 pick dished out two early alley-oop assists to Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet and posted a game-best plus-minus of +20 in just 18 minutes.

“Just being back out there with those guys felt good,” Harper said, via Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “My teammates do a great job of empowering me. They’re here to help me out, and I’m here to help them out.”

Coach Mitch Johnson called it an important step for Harper’s growth.

“He made some plays, but more importantly, he got to do it under the lights. That experience is invaluable,” Johnson said, via Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.

Warriors

Steve Kerr may have found something new and big in his starting lineup.

As Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle noted, the Warriors coach liked what he saw from a group featuring Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and newcomer Al Horford.

“That could be a really powerful combo,” Kerr said. “Looking back at the tape, it was a lot better than I expected for those first seven minutes.”

Curry agreed that the group’s chemistry is still developing but said the vibe in camp has been strong.

“We know there’s still a lot to work on,” Curry said. “But I like the intentionality we’re coming with. We know we’ve got to get off to a good start.”

Horford’s spacing and veteran presence could help the Warriors lean more on size early in games, something Kerr plans to keep experimenting with before the preseason wraps.