For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers experienced an inauspicious preseason. In 2021-22, they lost all six warmup contests in what turned out to be a foreboding glimpse of a disastrous campaign. This time around, now under Darvin Ham, the Lakers scraped out one exhibition victory while sandwiching their 1-5 slate with 30+ point losses to the Sacramento Kings. You know — for what it's worth.

The real basketball begins for Los Angeles on Tuesday at the Chase Center in what should be a deeply interesting #RingNight for the Golden State Warriors. Once again, the roster-fluid Lakers will tip off a season against the NBA's beacon of on-court chemistry and depth chart continuity.

“I like the way our team is constructed, but we have to continue to work because a lot of the Western Conference teams, a lot of the NBA teams right now, have been together for a couple years, a few years. and we haven't,” LeBron said Friday.

“You look at the top teams in the West, you got the Clippers, and you got Phoenix, you got Denver, and that’s just to name a few of the teams that’s gonna come out and be ready to go right from the jump because of the chemistry they’ve had for quite a while now. We’re one of the teams that has to continue to learn on the fly and not waste a day.”

Before we get to the games that count, let's recap a few notable takeaways from the Lakers' less-than-ideal preseason.

1. Russell Westbrook's role — and health

Russell Westbrook had some positive preseason moments. Early on, he played fast and productively, albeit with ill-fated decisions, ball-stopping bricks, and defensive lapses sprinkled in. His jumper did not look improved, and he turned the ball over at his typical rate. He finished 11th on the Lakers in scoring efficiency, per Silver Screen and Roll.

By the end, things officially got weird. In a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Westbrook invited skepticism by skipping out on two Lakers huddles (he explained himself, but the optics were nonetheless questionable). He also did this, played a disengaged game in which he scored five points on 1-of-3 shooting and turned it over four times in 25 minutes, and capped the evening with a cryptic IG post. The Lakers actually played their rotation guys big minutes against the Wolves and looked outmatched. Ham acknowledged the “vibes were off.”

Less than 48 hours later, Ham — who initially wanted the final two exhibitions to serve as useful dress rehearsals — pulled the trigger on a decision many sensed was coming: he re-aligned Westbrook to the bench.

“It’s something we’ve touched on, during the summer here and there,” Ham said about the move. “And you know, Russ has been a pro, man. Russ is one of the most beautiful human beings I’ve ever come across in this business, on and off the floor. He totally understood, totally looked me in my eye and told me, said, ‘Yeah, coach, whatever you need me to do.’”

Westbrook came out with active energy in Sacramento. He pushed the pace, dished a few dimes, and made a few mistakes. But, with Anthony Davis sidelined, the Lakers mostly played Russ alongside LeBron, despite their actual intentions of staggering the two ball-dominant future Hall of Famers.

Westbrook strained his left hamstring after five minutes. He's day-to-day.

Ham started six different lineups in six preseason games and will continue to tinker with various combinations into the season. Westbrook, when healthy, will likely remain in the reserve role.

“Some guys play better off the ball, some guys play better with the ball in their hands, and through no fault of their own, that’s just how they’re built, you know?” Ham said. “You’re not gonna have LeBron James play without the ball in his hands for, you know, 80, 85 percent of his minutes that he’s on the floor, you know? At some point, you’ve got to allow him to orchestrate. Same thing with Russ. And so to create some type of balance, we wanted to look at this, the setup of this type of rotation and see if it works for us. The door’s not closed on Russ starting, and the door’s not closed on (whether) this works, you know. We got to explore it even further.”

The Lakers are reportedly re-engaging teams in Westbrook-centered trade talks.

2. Anthony Davis' role — and health

AD would prefer to play the 4. However, akin to how Ham wants Russ to buy into a sixth-man gig, he'd prefer AD embrace the 5. The Lakers signed two passable but minimum-contract centers in the offseason, so Davis is far and away their best option (the other big on the team, Wenyen Gabriel, was a bright spot in preseason).

The perimeter-oriented style of modern bigs renders the position a bit less physically taxing these days, which could make Davis more open to the idea. Davis — whose goal is to play 82 games — couldn't stay on the floor in the preseason, missing three games due to lower back tightness. He will suit up against Golden State, but the Lakers, in general, should be especially careful with their star rather than push him to achieve his goal.

“This thing is going to be a marathon and we need him to be available and healthy,” Ham said about holding Davis out of the preseason finale. “Once we start October 18, everything is geared towards us being able to set a tone from that first game throughout the entire 82-game season.”

On the plus side, Davis was dominant when he did take the floor. He led the Lakers in scoring (19.9 PPG) and rebounding (9.0 RPG) while beasting on defense and drilling his jumper.

“I want him to expand the game to behind the arc,” said Ham, who believes AD will set a career high in 3-point attempts this year. “He’s already a great midrange player, can finish at the rim. The 3-ball I think is going to enhance his game even that much more. He’ll be a threat rolling to the rim and he’ll be effective popping, and that’s going to keep the defense on their heels.”

3. LeBron James

LeBron shot 0-of-7 in the first game. He shot 21-of-36 after. He converted contested fadeaways and circus transition buckets. Most importantly, he got through the preseason unscathed.

He's ready to roll. No notes.

4. Nicks and bruises

The Lakers are already dinged up beyond AD and Russ.

Troy Brown Jr. – a potentially key 3-and-D wing — hasn't played due to a back issue and is expected to miss at least a few more weeks. This is low-key ominous, especially considering the parallels to Kendrick Nunn's injury saga last preseason. (Speaking of wings, Austin Reaves impressed throughout the preseason with his feel, passing, and point-of-attack defense. And his Smitty. He earned praise from LeBron and Ham for his IQ, scrappiness, motor, and versatility. Ham called him a “Swiss Army Knife.”)

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Dennis Schroder played seven minutes of exhibition ball before injuring his thumb. The Lakers believe he could miss multiple regular-season games.

Fortunately, Lonnie Walker IV (ankle) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (back) are healed. Both players took the floor on Friday and will be available for the opener. Walker has flashed electrifying offensive chops in the preseason and could be in the starting lineup on Tuesday. He shined on defense. He's an X-factor. JTA may be in closing lineups due to his defensive prowess.

Perhaps the most exciting development was the sight of Nunn hooping. Ham described his first practice as “phenomenal,” and the combo guard looked fresh, quick, and shifty in his return from a knee bone bruise that caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season. His shot creation and offensive dynamism were evident.

5. Two causes for concern: 3-point shooting and defensive rebounding

Besides health and the flammable Westbrook situation, the Lakers' ability to adequately space the floor for their stars — which Ham's “one-out, four-in” system relies upon — and keep defenses honest with consistent outside shooting is the biggest question mark facing this team.

The early returns weren't encouraging. The Lakers shot 30 percent from deep during the preseason despite creating a bevy of ideal looks (that part is good). Even two-way rookie Cole Swider — arguably the best sniper on the squad — struggled to knock 'em down (9-of-37). Los Angeles awarded the final (non-guaranteed) active roster spot to Matt Ryan, who hit 37.5 percent from deep in the preseason.

Trades and midseason pickups are likely to occur. But, as Rob Pelinka said at Media Day, the Lakers are hoping enough internal improvement can produce a decent-enough 3-point shooting team. The jury is very much out on that.

Troublingly, the Lakers were easily outrebounded throughout the preseason. The Lakers' best lineups are likely going to be small-ball groups, and LeBron isn't the rebounder he once was. It's possible the Lakers get crushed on the boards all season.

“It’s something that’s going to be a constant theme — us finishing our defense with a rebound,” Ham said. “Holding teams to one possession. That’s going to be a common theme throughout the season.”

Will any of this mean anything? Only one way to find out. Let's play real ball!