Until Saturday, Darvin Ham was unwilling to reveal whom he intends to start at small forward when the Los Angeles Lakers begin their season against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

Ham didn't waste time disclosing his four other starters. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves were no-brainers. Ham declared D'Angelo Russell his starting point guard before training camp. Finally, three days before the opener, Ham unsurprisingly tapped Taurean Prince as his starting wing.

“As of right now, it'll definitely be Taurean on opening night,” Ham said after Lakers' practice.

As Ham noted, part of his decision was “circumstantial.” Jarred Vanderbilt, the team's premier wing defender who started 24 games after the trade deadline, missed the final five exhibitions with left heel soreness. He remains “day-to-day,” although Ham said he would “more than likely” miss the Denver matchup.

Regardless, Prince earned the job. He started five of the six preseason games, including Thursday's finale vs. the Phoenix Suns, which the Lakers' treated as a dress rehearsal. The veteran 3-and-D shot 45.8 percent from 3. The Lakers finished with a 2-4 record in the preseason, though they were the best team on the court for the vast majority of minutes featuring their starting lineup.

Prince's combination of spacing, size, apt perimeter defense, and experience render him an easy fit alongside LeBron, AD, and the lead guards. He's averaged 9.1 points on 38.1 percent from deep over his nine-year career.

Additionally, the Lakers believe a reserve role will allow Rui Hachimura — the other candidate to start — to maximize his effectiveness and be a go-to, three-level scorer amid second units. Hachimura, for his part, is focused on finishing games.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Gabe Vincent (back tightness) has been fully cleared and was back at practice on Saturday. Jalen Hood-Schifino (knee) is “still in the process of evaluation,” per Ham.