D'Angelo Russell has had a slower start to his NBA career than some of his fellow rookies, which he attributes to his situation with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"You can’t worry about their opportunity and what they’re doing with it. Everybody is in different positions. The rookies that are separating themselves are in great positions and are getting it quick. Some people just have a learning process. That’s what I’m doing."

Russell was the second overall pick in the draft.

"The opportunity [here] is just so slim because we’ve got a lot of great players," he said. "Specifically, we’ve got a lot of players trying to do the same thing. You’ve just got to figure out your niche to stay on the floor."

Kobe Bryant sees some parallels with his situation as a rookie and what Russell is facing.

"He’ll have more opportunities and more leeway to make mistakes," Bryant said. "When I came in with the Lakers, it was a team that, we had a lot of talent and everybody expected us to win a championship, and if I go in there and mess up, it’s like, 'strangle the kid.' You know what I mean? There’s a lot more pressure there."

The Los Angeles Lakers will waive Jabari Brown with Metta World Peace taking the final spot on their 15-man roster.

Brown averaged 6.0 points over 14.3 minutes per game in the preseason with a PER of 12.0.

World Peace had a PER of 4.9 in the preseason.

World Peace's return to the Lakers includes a long-term plan to transition into an assistant coach. World Peace has been a mentor for several young Lakers' players, including Julius Randle.

The Oklahoma City Thunder led the NBA in efficiency differential during the preseason with a mark of +12.5.

During the 14-15 preseason, the Golden State Warriors had the league's best mark with +11.0, which became a first indicator of their jump as title contenders.

Here's the full rankings from the 15-16 preseason:

1. Thunder: 12.5
2. Celtics: 11.6
3. Grizzlies: 11.5
4. Wizards: 10.4
5. Hornets: 10.0
6. Pistons: 7.1
7. Raptors: 5.6
8. Pacers: 4.7
9. Knicks: 4.0
10. Suns: 3.9
11. Nuggets: 3.5
12. Kings: 3.3
13. Magic: 2.8
14. Blazers: 1.8
15. Jazz: 0.4
16. Heat: 0.0
17. Hawks: -0.7
18. Rockets: -0.7
19. Nets: -1.0
20. Warriors: -1.3
21. Spurs: -1.9
22. Lakers: -2.1
23. Bucks: -3.4
24. Bulls: -3.6
25. Pelicans: -3.6
26. Clippers: -4.2
27. Cavaliers: -6.5
28. 76ers: -8.6
29. Mavericks: -10.7
30. Wolves: -11.0

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived forward Jonathan Holmes.

Holmes, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Texas, was originally signed by the Lakers on August 13. He appeared in two preseason games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.50 steals and 0.50 blocks in 7.5 minutes.

The Lakers roster now stands at 16.

Kobe Bryant missed his third straight preseason game with a lower leg contusion on Thursday.

But Bryant is still expected to play in the Los Angeles Lakers' regular season opener on Oct. 28th.

"There's no doubt in my mind [that he'll play in that game]," Byron Scott said before his team faced the Warriors on Thursday. "Talking to him [Thursday], he said he's just gearing up for Wednesday. I said, 'Good, because that's what I'm gearing up for as well.' There's no doubt in my mind. It will take a whole lot to keep him out of that game."

Bryant has had a season-ending injury in each of the past three years.

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Michael Frazier II and center Robert Upshaw. 

Frazier II, an undrafted rookie from Florida, was originally signed by the Lakers on August 25. He appeared in four preseason games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 13.5 minutes per game.

Upshaw saw action in four of the Lakers’ seven preseason contests, averaging 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.75 blocks in 14.1 minutes per game. The undrafted rookie out of Washington was originally signed on September 14.

Jim Buss is extremely high on the Los Angeles Lakers' young core of D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.

“I think we’ve done a great job (rebuilding)," said Jim Buss in an extended profile by Sam Amick. "Yeah, I think we’re in dynamite position. Not good position – dynamite. I think we’ve turned the corner. I don’t know if you discount that terminology, ‘turn the corner.’ But when you’re headed down the wrong road, and you can finally get off that road and turn the corner, that’s huge in my opinion.”

Buss' favorite may become Russell, who he doesn't regret taking over Jahlil Okafor.

“If you watched (Russell) worked out, if you heard what our scouts said about him and what they said about Okafor and other players, it got to the point where we could not pass on him,” Buss said. “He’s that special in a lot of people’s books.”

Buss put himself on a timeline that the Lakers would be contenders by the summer of 2017 or he would step down.

“I (shared the timeline publicly to the Los Angeles Times in April of 2014) because I basically wanted people to know what timeframe I’m working on,” Buss said. “It became news, but I don’t want to be here if I can’t turn this around. And it’s not turning it around – it’s just your normal progression of teams in the NBA.

“We’re ahead of (the schedule), so I’m fine with it. I think we’ve turned the corner, exactly like we have (planned). Get a free agent next (summer), and then I think we compete.”

The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their team option for the 2016-17 season on forward Julius Randle.

Randle, the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, appeared in one game as a rookie, scoring two points in his professional debut on October 28th against Houston before suffering a fractured tibia in his right leg. 

The second-year player out of Kentucky has started in all five Lakers preseason contests in 2015, averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.20 steals in 24.5 minutes.

Darius Soriano (@ForumBlueGold) of Forum Blue and Gold joins Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) to preview the Los Angeles Lakers season.  

Topics include: How good D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle can be; what to make of Kobe Bryant's potential last year and what will happen next year if he wants to return; the impact of Roy Hibbert on both ends; assessing the job of the front office, coaching, and training staff, and finally predictions for the Lakers season. 

Subscribe to the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast on iTunes or via the XML feed.

Click here for other team previews from the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast.

The Los Angeles Lakers want Julius Randle to have the freedom to push the ball himself after a defensive rebound.

"I told him every time he gets a defensive rebound, I want him to push it," Byron Scott said.

Randle has always handled the ball a lot.

"I've been doing that since I was little," said Randle.

"It's who I am. Naturally that's who I've always been -- been able to do everything on the court, effect the game in different ways. Naturally that's just who I am."