Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton says star small forward LeBron James and second-year point guard Lonzo Ball will “likely” play together for the first time next Wednesday when the team takes on the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas.

As earlier reported by ClutchPoints' Ryan Ward, Walton is giving James the night off against the L.A. Clippers, while Ball is recovering from offseason surgery on his left knee and has yet to play in the preseason. Ball has looked good in practice according to Walton and the Lakers' young coach is excited to see how the former No. 2 overall pick looks alongside James.

“That's one of the things I still need to see that we haven't had is what lineups look like when both of those guys are playing,” Walton said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I'm excited and hopeful, but again, we're going to take it day by day. If any setbacks or whatnot, then we won't rush it, again. But I would expect Wednesday that happens.

“He's [Ball] close. He's close. And again, it's just us playing it safe right now. So it just felt like the right thing to do. So, he's getting real close.”

Lonzo Ball played in 52 games during his rookie season and averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. The California native struggled with his shot all year, shooting just 36.0 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 45.1 percent from the free-throw line. Ball will need to become a reliable shooter this season. Teammates of James often need to be sound perimeter shooters because LeBron is a great passer and collapses the paint on his drives to the basket.

LeBron James told the Lakers' president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, he likes Ball's game and is eager to play with the 20-year-old. All of Lakers Nation is waiting on pins and needles to see James and Ball hoop together.