When it was revealed the Los Angeles Lakers were having Russell Westbrook come off the bench in their preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings, many were concerned about the impact of the perceived demotion on Russ. Many also wondered whether it would be a permanent thing, especially since the last few games of the preseason were the times coaches use their official lineups in preparation for the season.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, however, clarified LA's position on the matter. Prior to taking on the Kings, he emphasized that there is still the possibility that Westbrook returns to the starting lineup. For now, they are only experimenting.

“The door isn’t closed on Russ starting – we need to explore it further. We’re not at the finish line, we’re at the starting blocks,” Ham said, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.

As for how Russell Westbrook received the news, Darvin Ham had only good words to say to his star guard. He shared that Westbrook has been really professional about it as well.

“He’s been a pro. He totally understood. He said ‘Yeah coach, whatever you need me to do,'” Ham added.

It has yet to be seen how Westbrook will work off the bench under Ham's system. The preseason against the Kings would have been a good opportunity to see it, but the former MVP lasted only five minutes before he was forced to exit due to a hamstring injury.

With that, Lakers fans can only wait until the season officially starts to see it firsthand.