Charlotte Hornets vs LA Lakers Prediction & Match Preview - November 8th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The LA Lakers are all set to host the Charlotte Hornets at their homecourt STAPLES Center on Monday. The Lakers, with a 5-5 record, have been underwhelming so far this season. Rocked by injuries, their roster has been limited and rusty despite having some incredible names on it.
Meanwhile, the young Hornets, who are 5-6, have shown much improvement and flair. The oldest team in the league will fight the fifth youngest team to ascertain who is superior.
Match Details
Fixture: Charlotte Hornets vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Monday, November 8th, 10:30 PM ET (Tuesday, November 9th, 9:00 AM IST).
Venue: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Charlotte Hornets Preview
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The Charlotte Hornets are defensively the weakest team in the league. They have almost no players capable of post-up, perimeter or isolation D. The only player with any semblance of a proper defender is Mason Plumlee, who is at times able to play isolation defense and block shots.
Charlotte's defensive rating of 114.5 is the lowest in the league. Although they have scored 113.5 points per game, they have let their opponents score 117.6 points, which is interestingly the most any team has let their opponents score.
Their only road to salvation is through offense. In terms of scoring, they are currently ranked second. Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward have been sensational so far and have combined for 60.3 points per game. The Charlotte Hornets will have trouble scoring with ease against the LA Lakers defense.
Key Player - LaMelo Ball
The 2020-21 rookie of the year has gotten better at almost every statline. From 1.8 threes per game the previous season, LaMelo Ball is averaging 2.9 threes with a success rate of 41% in the ongoing season. Furthermore, he left Hayward behind to become Charlotte Hornets' second-best scorer with 20 points per game.
LaMelo's skill, however, goes beyond scoring. He is a capable playmaker who can not only make confident plays but find the right players on fast breaks. At crucial moments, the youngest Ball is ruthless and uses the players he finds imperative to victory. He will be a key player in the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the LA Lakers.
Charlote Hornets Predicted Lineup
G - LaMelo Ball, G - Terry Rozier, F - Gordon Hayward, F - Miles Bridges, C - Mason Plumlee.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers have started the season on a bitter note. Injuries after injuries have rocked the camp. The Big 3 have played six of the 10 games. LeBron James, who has missed 4 games, is set to miss at least a couple more and has been listed out for Monday.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, who was questionable before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, has again been marked questionable. However, what transpired in Portland should be a cause for concern for the team and its management. Anthony Davis exited the game after playing for 7 minutes due to a stomach illness. According to Dave McMenamin, a writer with ESPN, Vogel shared AD's state before the game started.
In his tweet, McMenamin wrote: Frank Vogel says that AD threw up four times prior to tip-off. Was hoping the feeling would subside while playing but it did not.
Frank Vogel says that AD threw up four times prior to tip-off. Was hoping the feeling would subside while playing but it did not. twitter.com/mcten/status/1…
The LA Lakers, who are allowing their opponents to score 111.3 points per game while averaging 110.1 themselves, are defensively better than the Charlotte Hornets. However, without King James and Davis, the Lakers offense relies solely on Russell Westbrook.
key Player - Russell Westbrook
There is no denying the greatness of Russell Westbrook but it seems that he has so far been unable to fit in with the LA Lakers. He is averaging 19 points per game. For any other player, this would have been an acceptable score. But for Brodie, 19 points per game is the lowest season average since 2009-10.
He has not been as excellent as he was with the Washington Wizards but he is still, with AD and LBJ absent, the best player in the LA Lakers. He is, along with 19 points, averaging 7.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds. He will be crucial in the game against the Charlotte Hornets.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook, G - Avery Bradley, F - Kent Bazemore, F - Carmelo Anthony, C - DeAndre Jordan.
Hornets vs Lakers Match Prediction
The LA Lakers have been disappointing at best this season. Their attack has been abysmal and their defense mediocre. Even by assembling a squad that on paper seemed unbeatable, Frank Vogel has struggled to find a strategy that works best for his team.
The Charlotte Hornets, on the other hand, have been defensively even worse than the LA Lakers but are offensively superior. We predict that they will win the upcoming matchup.
Where to watch Hornets vs Lakers?
The LA Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets game will be available on Spectrum SportsNet and Bally Sports SE-CHA, who are the official local broadcasters of the game. Meanwhile, fans can also catch the game online via the NBA League Pass.