Lakers, Hornets Announce Full Starting Lineups for Monday Game

Oct 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (left) and guard Austin Reaves (15) interact before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets have announced their first fives ahead of their early Monday road tilt. Well, early for Lakers fans, anyway. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. PT in Charlotte.

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According to Jovan Buha of "Buha's Block," Los Angeles will start five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic, returning guard Austin Reaves (back for his first action in a week, he sat out three games with a groin strain) three-time All-Defensive Team guard Marcus Smart, power forward Rui Hachimura, and center Deandre Ayton.

Lakers’ starters in Charlotte:

Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves
Marcus Smart
Rui Hachimura
Deandre Ayton

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 10, 2025

Los Angeles, of course, is missing 21-time All-NBA superstar forward LeBron James, who has missed the entire season thus far with sciatica on his right side.

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The Hornets will be without All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and forward Brandon Miller. Charlotte will look to lean heavily on its rookie draft class.

Charlotte's First Five

Per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte will start Collin Sexton at the point, first-year wing Sion James at shooting guard (the No. 33 pick out of Duke), rookie lottery pick Kon Knueppel (the fourth pick, also a former Blue Devil) at small forward, Miles Bridges at power forward, and rookie second-round draft selection Ryan Kalkbrenner (the No. 34 pick out of Creighton) at center.

Tonight's starters: pic.twitter.com/TLEMuoQGxm

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) November 10, 2025

The 6-foot-7 Knueppel hasn't disappointed so far. Through nine healthy games, he's looking like an All-Rookie First Teamer (provided he can stay healthy on a Hornets team that seems to be perpetually saddled with a questionable medical staff). The 20-year-old is averaging 16.4 points on .443/.405/.889 shooting splits, 6.0 boards, and 2.3 dimes a night.

Sion James, 22, has also been promising so far. The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 8.9 points on unsustainably elite .600/600/.917 shooting splits, plus 3.0 boards and 1.4 dimes per.

Kalkbrenner might finally be Charlotte's long-term solution at the five spot. He's averaging 9.2 points on 81.3 percent field goal shooting and 71.4 percent free throw shooting, 6.9 boards, 2.6 rejections and 1.1 steals a night.

The young Hornets may have their work cut out for them on Monday night, against a veteran-laden Lakers squad that's hungry to avenge a 122-102 blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks over the weekend.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.