Here is what you need to know before the Lakers face off against the new-look Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
1) Kobe Bryant leads the NBA in scoring with 27.6 points per game. He is also averaging a league-high 24.4 shots per game. Head coach Byron Scott says he and Bryant are looking to get the other Lakers more involved in the offense.
“(Bryant) wants guys to step up and take shots when they have them — not defer to him as much,” Scott said. “I gotta remind him not to chase the ball at times, to let those guys play, because sometimes you gotta let those guys make mistakes as well. He tries to bail them out at times. … That’s the competitive nature he has.
“But he realizes that he wants to step back a little bit and let guys play and let guys develop and give them that confidence.”
2) Jordan Hill has been on a tear over the last three games, averaging 20.3 points on 61.5 percent shooting. Hill is also grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game during this stretch, including a 15-board effort in his first double-double of the season on Tuesday.
3) Ed Davis has been among the league’s most efficient scorers so far. His 66.7 field goal percentage is tied for third in the NBA with Cory Joseph.
4) The Lakers have allowed opponents to shoot a league-high 68.5 percent in the restricted area. This issue will be tested Sunday against Charlotte’s Al Jefferson.
5) Jefferson, who was named to last year’s All-NBA third team, has scored at least 14 points in each game this season, including when he dropped a season-high 34 points against Atlanta on Friday. Jefferson dropped 40 points to lead the Hornets to victory the last time they faced the Lakers.
“Al Jefferson presents a problem because of the fact that he can score on that box,” Scott said. “Jordan Hill, Ed Davis (and) Robert (Sacre), they’re gonna have their handles full. But we also got to help them. So we’re also not gonnna leave them out there on an island as much as possible.”
6) Lance Stephenson led the league with five triple-doubles last season for the Indiana Pacers. The first-year Hornet has made an immediate impact for his new club. He is currently averaging 10.0 rebounds per game and hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in double overtime Friday.
7) Hornets backup point guard Brian Roberts is one of the best free throw shooters in basketball. He led the league by shooting 94.0 percent from the foul line last season and has made all six of his attempts this year. Since entering the NBA in 2012, Roberts has missed just 15 of his 216 free throws (93.1 percent).
8) Charlotte shares the ball more than any other team. The Hornets’ 348.4 passes per game rank behind only Utah’s 396.6.
9) Hornets coach Steve Clifford turned the then-Bobcats around in his first season last year. Charlotte won 43 games under the former Lakers assistant – 15 more than it did in the combined two years prior.
10) Under Clifford, Charlotte has been a strong defensive team. This season, the Hornets have allowed the fewest second-chance points per game (7.7) and the third-fewest fast break points (9.2).