Preview: Hornets vs. Lakers: Seeking Much-Needed Victory In 2023’s Final Home Game

The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for their final home game of 2023 against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. They have just returned from two much-needed days off.

The fact that the Lakers’ most recent game was a 126-115 loss to the rival Boston Celtics on Christmas Day highlights how much work still needs to be done if they hope to challenge for a championship this year.

Thursday presents a fantastic chance for the purple and gold to recover from their recent setback against the 7-21 Hornets. LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Mark Williams are three important players that Charlotte is missing, which increases the Lakers’ chances of victory. Brandon Miller, a rookie who is playing and starting, was also dubious going into this match.

Aside from Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish, everyone is healthy and active despite the fact that injuries have derailed Los Angeles this season. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Vincent had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, with a follow-up evaluation scheduled for eight weeks. Reddish had been ruled out after initially being classified as questionable due to a groin issue.

The Hornets, who are playing the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, have been in Los Angeles for a few days. Miles Bridges led the Charlotte team with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in a close 113-103 loss. In addition, Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington scored eighteen points apiece, while Nick Richards contributed thirteen points and ten rebounds.

Even without Ball as their top option and Hayward as a complementary scorer, the Hornets still have a few players who can heat up fast. In particular, Rozier has averaged a career-high 7.1 assists along with 23 points per game over his last 10 games. His average of 19.8 points and 7.2 rebounds is being trailed by Bridges.

The Lakers’ new starting lineup will need to shut those two guys down if they want to quickly put this game out of reach. Jarred Vanderbilt must be able to help the Lakers get stops because head coach Darvin Ham has admitted that the team is leaning toward a defensive identity with this new starting five.

This five just needs to shut down a Hornets team without important players, even though offense is still a concern with this lineup. Since the Lakers play their best when transitioning, this lineup will have an easy time getting stops and out of the game.