Los Angeles Lakers prepare to bounce back from their season-opening loss as they take on an undermanned Phoenix Suns team on Thursday. According to the Suns, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, two of their star players, will be sidelined for the Lakers' home opener.

Beal, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Washington Wizards, also missed the Suns' recent victory over the Golden State Warriors due to lower back tightness. On the other hand, Booker showcased his skills in that game, leading the team in both points and assists. Unfortunately, he will be unable to play against the Lakers due to a sore left foot.

Despite the absence of Beal and Booker, the Suns will still have the ever-potent Kevin Durant on their lineup. Durant is just 37 points away from surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon for the 12th spot on the all-time scoring list. His presence on the court poses a formidable challenge for the Lakers' defense.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves expressed his thoughts on guarding Durant at shootaround, acknowledging the difficulty of stopping the 7-foot star. Reaves emphasized Durant's impressive wingspan and his ability to release shots over the rim, making it almost impossible to contest.

The Lakers are eager to redeem themselves after suffering a 119-107 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in their season opener. Anthony Davis went scoreless in the second half of that game, with the Nuggets double-teaming him and forcing him to pass to open shooters. Davis acknowledged the need to be more assertive and take more shots in such situations.

One area of concern for the Lakers is their performance when LeBron James is off the court. In the opener against Denver, the team struggled, being outscored by 19 points in the 19 minutes that James sat on the bench. To address this, the role players will need to step up and fill the void left by James' absence.

Rui Hachimura, who trained with James during the offseason, acknowledged the responsibility of being James' "understudy" and taking charge when he is off the court. Hachimura emphasized the need to replicate James' energy and physical presence on both offense and defense.

The Lakers hope to turn things around in their home opener against the Suns and find a way to maximize their performance both with and without LeBron James on the court.