It’s too early to fairly judge, evaluate or eulogize the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers. It has only been three games. As Darvin Ham has accurately pointed out, each of their three losses — while discouraging and frustrating in their own ways (25-0f-118 from 3!) — have produced legitimate reasons for optimism. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are ballin' out, the supporting cast is improved, and they're a few late-game plays away from being 2-1.

With that in mind, here are three significant takeaways from the first week of Lakers basketball in this 2022-23 season.

3. The Lakers are actually an elite defensive team

That the Lakers look vastly improved defensively isn’t shocking. While the front office curiously didn’t address 3-point shooting over the summer, they did, smartly, devote their limited resources to the defensive side of the ball after finishing bottom-10 in 2021-22 following two seasons among the cream of the crop.

They hired a defense-oriented head coach who typically gets players to buy in on that end (Ham spent the first few days of training camp exclusively on defensive work). Rob Pelinka populated the roster with a bunch of (mostly young) dudes who, at the very least, make the team more athletic, feisty, and motorized — including a handful of above-average defenders (Patrick Beverley, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Damian Jones).

And, of course, they still have Anthony Davis, who has dominated at a Defensive Player of the Year level through three games, including a six-block, two-steal masterpiece on Sunday:

At the moment, the Lakers have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. They’ve created 20 turnovers per game — the best mark in the league. AD's relentless physicality and effort have been infectious. Even Russell Westbrook had an excellent defensive performance against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Maybe they won’t finish No. 2 in defensive rating, but I buy them as a top-tier defensive squad for the above reasons, if AD stays healthy. Ham's “centerfield” system, which requires the center to drop in pick-and-rolls and hold down the paint rather than attack ball handlers, has been a success thus far. Per Silver Screen & Roll (via Cleaning the Glass), Los Angeles has been elite at preventing shots at the rim and forcing midrange attempts.

The defense has to be their calling card. It can keep them in the playoff hunt.

2. Troy Brown Jr. is their best offseason acquisition

The Lakers received good news when Brown returned from a back issue weeks ahead of schedule. His impact was notable against the Blazers.

He only scored four points in 22 minutes, but his attention to detail, hole-plugging, off-ball movement, and sheer presence as a large wing was evident. The nuanced and subtle ways he affected the game should not surprise anyone who has heard him break down, with hyper-specificity, how he can help the Lakers:

Lonnie Walker IV (15.3 PPG) has impressed, but his defense and shooting are spotty and he's going to have hot and cold nights. Brown, on the other hand, has a chance to be a consistently valuable defense/intangibles guy and a crunch-time staple.

Personally, I like Austin Reaves or Pat Bev, Brown, JTA, LeBron, and AD as a closing lineup for its defensive versatility and shooting.

1. The Lakers should send Russ home instead of trading him (or just sit him in crunch time)

Westbrook should no longer be the starting point guard — or basically spend any time on the floor alongside LeBron and AD (unless he's really cooking). More importantly, Ham — who strongly stated that he isn't concerned with people's feelings — needs to remove him from crunch-time consideration. The Lakers have already dropped two winnable games partially thanks to opposing teams putting centers on Russ, then having those bigs sag insultingly far off — thereby clogging the lanes for the Lakers. Even in his prime, Westbrook's decision-making in late-game situations — when things, besides him, slow down — was a major flaw in his game. Sunday was the latest example:

If Jeanie Buss can accept a star player not thriving in Los Angeles — which runs counter to the franchise's brand — the Lakers will come to their senses and send Westbrook home.

This is the best course forward, in the short- and long-term. Westbrook’s continued presence is a toxic distraction that is dragging down the team’s vibe off the court and its production on it. He’s not going to enthusiastically embrace a relegation to a bench and is now curiously doubtful for Wednesday's matchup vs. the Denver Nuggets with left hamstring soreness.

He's averaging 10.3 points on 28.9 percent shooting. The Lakers have been outscored by 16 points in his 86 minutes, per The Athletic. Ham and the players are tired of talking about him.

Westbrook's absence would lift the team’s spirits and improve the product. They have plenty of guards on the roster.

Sure, they can trade him — still the likeliest course of action. But no deal will make them a contender, and it will probably cost the organization two first-round picks and future cap space. Alternatively, sending Russ home would improve the team ASAP as much as any trade package, allow the organization to keep the 2027 and 2029 picks, and use his expiring deal to clear nearly $50 million in cap space next summer. Food for thought.