Here is what you need to know before the Lakers go head-to-head with the Brooklyn Nets.
1)
Jordan Clarkson has displayed quick growth in his 10 games as the Lakers’ starting point guard, averaging 13.4 points and 3.8 assists in 30.6 minutes per contest. The rookie has been a threat at the rim all season, where he has hit 35 of his 57 attempts (61.4 percent). However, Clarkson is still looking to increase his comfort zone, as he is shooting just 46-for-150 (30.7 percent) from farther than three feet out.
2)
Nick Young, who is shooting just 31.6 percent in 2015, hopes that the eight-day All-Star break will help him end his slump. The second-year Laker has found success with this in the past, as he has shot 41.9 percent in his career before All-Star Weekend, but that balloons to 43.5 percent after. Young’s 3-point shooting also rises 1.8 percent to 38.8 following the break.
3)
The Lakers have beaten the Nets in 13 of their last 15 meetings, dating back to Nov. 26, 2006. However, Brooklyn took the latest matchup on Feb. 23, 2014, which snapped L.A.’s series-long 11-game winning streak. Now, the Nets have the opportunity to beat the Lakers in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005-06.
4)
Brooklyn will be trotting out a new-look lineup after trading Kevin Garnett to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young on Thursday. Young, who is joining his third team in 10 months, gives the Nets a taste of everything, with 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a team-best 1.8 steals.
5)
Despite leading Brooklyn in scoring, Joe Johnson’s 15.5 points per game are on pace for his fewest in 12 years. However, the Nets have other scorers they can turn to, as their roster features six players averaging double figures, including Johnson and Young.
6)
Another one of those players is Mason Plumlee, who leads all reserves in 2015 with 16.2 points per game off the bench. Plumlee, who won gold for the United States at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, has also been efficient in getting his buckets, ranking fourth in the league in field goal percentage (59.0). However, the Duke product is still letting points go to waste, as his 49.8 percent shooting at the free throw line places just 123rd out of 125 qualified players. Still, he has shown improvement at the charity stripe as well, hitting 75.0 percent (15-for-20) in his last eight games.
7)
Five-time all-star Deron Williams has been unable to solve his own shot this season, recording a career-low 38.4 field goal percentage. Williams has struggled in multiple facets, as his shooting on drives (38.4 percent) and pull-up attempts (30.6 percent) both rank second-worst in the league. The 10-year veteran has stumbled even further since being relegated to the bench 13 games ago, shooting just 32.3 percent from the field since.
8)
Brooklyn has plummeted recently, dropping 15 of its last 20 games. The Nets’ problems have been magnified during their current three-game losing streak, in which they are falling by an average of 17.3 points, while shooting 42.3 percent for a league-low 86.7 points. Within this span, Brooklyn has also been unable to consistently make 3-pointers (29.1 percent) or pass efficiently, collecting 18.7 assists against 16.7 turnovers.
9)
However, the Nets have shown they are able to locate their rhythm in a hurry, shooting an NBA-best 49.5 percent in the first quarter this season. The Lakers, on the other hand, find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum, connecting on just 41.7 percent of their shots in the opening frame, which places last in the league.
Nets Shot Chart (First Quarter)
10)
The Nets have characteristically pulled through in close contests this season, tying Chicago for the NBA’s best record in games decided by three points or fewer (6-1). Since the start of last season, Brooklyn has gone 14-4 in these situations, which tops the league, just ahead of Memphis (16-6).