COLLIN Sexton

The Lakers played three preseason games, and Sexton did not log a minute in any of them. He sat out the October 5 win over Sacramento, the October 6 loss to Golden State and the October 16 loss to Denver. That means the Lakers have not seen him in game action in their system since he arrived. For a guard who will be asked to score off the bench or alongside the starters, that is a real gap. His last game action came on April 12 with Chicago, a loss to Dallas in which he scored 19 points in 28.4 minutes. If he does play Wednesday, it will be his first live reps in a Lakers uniform, and the staff will likely manage his minutes while he works back from the calf.

Sexton was productive last season with the Bulls. He played 68 games and averaged 23.7 minutes, 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals, with 2.1 turnovers per game. The shooting numbers stand out. He hit 48.5 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from three and 85.5 percent from the line last season, good for a 61.5 true shooting percentage. His usage rate was 24.8 percent, so he carried a meaningful share of the offense when he was on the floor. His plus-minus last season was -1.7 per game. Those are the numbers of a guard who can get buckets efficiently in limited minutes, which is the role the Lakers appear to have in mind for him.

Sexton's final stretch with Chicago showed his scoring range. He closed with 19 points against Dallas on April 12, 12 points and 4 assists against Orlando on April 10 and 27 points in 34.3 minutes in a win over Washington on April 9. Two nights earlier, on April 7, he filled the box score in another win over Washington with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in 30.3 minutes and a plus-minus of +21. He also put up 18 points and 9 rebounds against Phoenix on April 5, 19 against New York on April 3 and 18 against Indiana on April 1. The Bulls lost most of those games, but Sexton scored in double figures in every one of them.

Sexton's move to Los Angeles was framed around winning. A September 5 report, titled 'Opportunity To Win' Attracted Collin Sexton To Lakers, said the chance to compete was what drew him to the team. He also surfaced in a September 15 Pacific Notes roundup that covered the Lakers along with Smart, the Warriors, Booker and Simmons. At 27 and entering his eighth season out of Alabama, Sexton is in his prime years, and the 6-1, 190-pound guard will wear number 10 for the Lakers. The front office added him as a scoring guard, and his efficiency last season fits that job. The first order of business is getting healthy enough to play.

The Lakers open the regular season Wednesday against the Warriors, and Sexton's availability will be decided close to tipoff. If he is cleared, expect a limited role as he gets his legs under him after missing the full preseason. If he sits, the Lakers will go into the opener without a guard who shot 40.1 percent from three last season. The team has been cautious with him through camp, moving from an undisclosed designation to lower body to lower leg to the right calf over the course of two weeks. The estimated return date of October 21 lines up with the opener, but a day-to-day tag means nothing is settled until the final injury report comes out.