Here is what you need to know before the Lakers face off against the Utah Jazz.
1)
The Lakers will be without Ronnie Price, who is sidelined for six to eight weeks after having surgery Wednesday morning to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. Price had been averaging career highs in points (5.1), assists (3.8) and steals (1.6) before his potentially season-ending operation. This leaves Jordan Clarkson and Jeremy Lin as the two remaining point guards on L.A.’s roster.
2)
Nick Young will also miss Wednesday’s tilt due to a sore left knee. The 29-year-old is coming off his best game in weeks against Boston Sunday, in which he scored 19 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including a 3-for-5 mark on 3-pointers. Young, who has missed 12 games this season because of injuries, was averaging just 8.4 points on 30.2 percent shooting in his previous nine contests.
3)
Utah has found its groove recently, winning four of its last five games. This success has been fueled by excellent defense, as it is holding opponents to league lows in points (86.0) and field goal percentage (39.0) during this span. The Lakers, meanwhile, find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum, allowing a league-high 110.6 points on 47.7 percent shooting (third-highest) in that same time frame.
4)
After scoring 30-plus points in just four games during his first four seasons, Gordon Hayward has already done so seven times this year, including on Jan. 16 when he dropped 31 against the Lakers. Hayward, who is averaging a career-high 19.6 points this season, took advantage of a porous L.A. defense back in January, hitting 12 of his 18 shots.
5)
When it comes to scoring, Derrick Favors’ game has been a bit of Jekyll and a bit of Hyde. The 23-year-old leads the league in points off cuts to the basket (4.3), while ranking fourth in field goal percentage on pick-and-rolls (52.9). However, he is also shooting a league-low 37.0 percent on post-ups and places second-to-last among non-centers in free throw percentage (65.3). Though Favors has struggled from outside the paint, his season has been an overall success, averaging 15.9 points on 53.5 percent shooting, both of which are career highs.
Derrick Favors Shot Chart
6)
Just 22 years old, Rudy Gobert has quickly ascended to become one of the NBA’s best defensive big men. The 7-foot-2 Gobert has put his massive frame to good use, leading the league in blocks (3.0) since the 2015 calendar year began. Even when he doesn’t swat the ball, the Frenchman discourages opponents from attacking the hoop, as they have shot a league-low 37.7 percent at the rim against him this season.
7)
Since joining Utah’s starting lineup 13 games ago, Dante Exum has been unable to consistently hit shots. His 30.7 field goal percentage during this time is the third-worst in the league, next to Patrick Beverley (29.7 percent) and teammate Elijah Millsap (30.3 percent). Exum’s rookie season has been a trying one overall, as he ranks second-to-last in player efficiency rating (6.6), ahead of only Nik Stauskas (5.7).
8)
The Jazz choose to run a slow, methodical offense, leading the league in passes per game (368.8), while ranking 29th in pace* (92.8). However, all of that passing has seen little effect, as Utah is dishing out the second-fewest assists (20.1), which is on track to break the franchise record for lowest average in a season.
9)
On the other end, opponents have been able to dismantle Utah’s defense with long shots and one-on-one matchups. The Jazz have allowed their foes to shoot the NBA’s second-highest clip on 3-pointers (37.1), as well as a league-high 44.0 percent on isolation plays.
10)
One area in which the Jazz have excelled has been rebounding. Utah’s opponents are grabbing a league-low 39.3 boards per game, and the Jazz are enjoying a +3.8 advantage on the glass, which ranks third in the NBA.
*Pace is the amount of possessions that a team uses per game.