Lakers show potential in exhibition loss, but a lot of work ahead

The Lakers get a second try against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night in Hawaii, after falling in Sunday’s preseason opener, 90-71.

Kobe Bryant was able to make a return to the court, after a shoulder injury sidelined him in January. Coach Byron Scott played Bryant for only the first period, and he scored five points while missing four of five shots.

While he has yet to announce his intentions, Bryant may be heading into his final season, which is why it’s so vital that the Lakers prioritize player development.

To that end, Scott started the team’s young prospects: D’Angelo Russell, taken second in June’s NBA draft, Julius Randle, who missed almost his entire rookie season with a broken leg, and Jordan Clarkson, who was one of the few bright spots of last year’s 21-win disaster.

None of the three shot well in the exhibition, as a team the Lakers made only 28.9%, but Russell and Randle both looked more comfortable than they did in July with the Lakers’ summer league squad in Las Vegas.

Russell is clearly a gifted passer. He finished with three assists and two turnovers against the Jazz, but some miscues were more about his teammates not expecting the pass than Russell making ill-timed decisions.

Randle has put in a lot of work to reshape his body, and that needs to translate to on-court production. He missed eight of 10 shots against Utah, getting seven points and seven rebounds.

The Lakers need both to become core players, along with Clarkson, who was one of the NBA’s top rookies last season after being drafting 46th overall.

Russell and Randle may have 20 games each where they look every bit of what the Lakers hope they will be -- but also pencil in 20 where they’re all but invisible. The remainder will be a grab bag of starts and starts as they learn through trial and error, normal for 19- or 20-year old players finding their way in the NBA.

On Sunday, Roy Hibbert was solid defensively, with 10 rebounds in 21 1/2 minutes. In recent years, the Lakers have struggled to stop their opponents from scoring. The team’s hope is that Hibbert will help change that, enough to warrant a long-term commitment when he hits free agency next summer.

Another area of concern for the season ahead is the number of games Bryant will be able to play. If Scott doesn’t want him playing on back-to-back nights, Bryant will miss 18 games off the top.

The Lakers have two veteran scorers to help keep their bench competitive in Lou Williams and Nick Young. The team doesn’t have depth at small forward, where Bryant is likely to start the season. On games Kobe sits, does Young fill in as starter, and then where does the scoring come from on the second unit?

The Western Conference will be competitive this season, but the Lakers can’t help but fare better than they did a year ago -- 21 wins is a low hurdle to clear.

The barometer for the team’s success won’t be in the standings, but in the development of its young core. The Lakers may be too green n to make what is probably Bryant’s last year an extended one beyond mid-April.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.