Lakers News: Latest Reports on Russell Westbrook, Darvin Ham and Dennis Schröder

The Los Angeles Lakers will take a laundry list of unanswered questions into Tuesday night's tipoff of the 2022-23 NBA season.

From injury issues to potentially major role-restructuring, the Lakers have tons to tackle as they prepare to tussle with the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Let's dig into the latest reports from the world of Purple and Gold.

Russell Westbrook Iffy for Opening Night

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 9: Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 9, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Russell Westbrook saw his final preseason outing come to a premature end after a hamstring injury forced him off the floor after only five minutes of action.

That same ailment threatens to delay his regular-season debut.

Westbrook has drawn the "day to day" designation with left hamstring soreness, per Lakers.com's Mike Trudell, meaning the former MVP might be unavailable when the Lakers try to spoil the Warriors' ring-night celebration.

While there were many reasons the Lakers' 2021-22 season went south, injury issues topped that list. Westbrook was actually one of their few players to avoid them, as he paced the team in both games (78) and minutes (2,678).

Darvin Ham's Relationship with Westbrook Critical in Selling Reserve Role

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LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 5: Russell Westbrook #0 talks to Head Coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers during a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on October 5, 2022 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

New Lakers skipper Darvin Ham has only been on the job since June, but he has apparently made massive inroads with the Lakers' polarizing point guard over that time.

In fact, if L.A. winds up using Westbrook off the bench and gets good mileage out of the move, Ham's relationship with him could be the reason it all works. The Lakers had mulled a similar setup with Westbrook leading the second team last season, but Ham's "connection with Westbrook made a bench role an easier pitch," per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha.

"(Westbrook) 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," Ham said. "He totally understood, totally looked me in my eye and told me, said, 'Yeah, coach, whatever you need me to do.'"

This sounds as promising as it can when the setup hasn't really been put into practice yet. You can dive deep into the schematic pros and cons of switching Westbrook into a sparkplug role, but what matters most is whether he buys in or not. It sounds like the 33-year-old is at least receptive to it so far, and that's the best Ham can hope for before the real games get underway.

Lakers Fear Dennis Schröder's Finger Injury Could Be 'Long-Term'

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 12: Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 12, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Signed in September after a sizzling run with the German national team in the European championships, Dennis Schröder was only able to suit up once this preseason.

That contest could prove quite costly. A finger injury forced him off the floor in less than 10 minutes, and its damage could linger well beyond that.

"The Lakers do have some worry that this could be a long-term injury for him," Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported.

It's too early to tell what to make of this report, as Schröder's role is uncertain, and the "long-term" qualifier is pretty vague. If "long term" is weeks instead of months, L.A. might not miss a beat, as it has the backcourt depth to cover up the absence. If this lasts even longer, though, it's possible this could complicate any Westbrook trade if the Lakers aren't certain they'll have Schröder around to help fill that void.