Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (10-7) return to Staples Center on Sunday and host the Indiana Pacers (10-4).

1. Can the Lakers bounce back at home? The disparity between the Lakers' home record (9-1) and road record (1-6) remains staggering. The difference between home and road games points to a number of areas. That includes points per game (93.8 at home, 89.7 on the road), shooting percentage (47.1%, 42.4%) and rebounds (46, 43.4). Individually the home-road disparity points mostly to Lakers center Andrew Bynum (16.9 points and 14.3 rebounds per game at home, 14.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game on the road).

The Lakers mostly pointed to their opponents for the poor road record, which included losses to the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, all playoff-contending teams. But the team also acknowledged the energy at Staples Center giving them an extra boost. After losing a back-to-back at Miami and Orlando, it will be interesting to see to what degree the home crowd will help improve the Lakers' play.

2. The Lakers will face a tough test on offense. This points to the Lakers' most pressing need. But they can't expect to fill it right away for reasons going beyond the team's own personnel. Indiana boasts the third-best defense in the league, holding teams to 89.9 points per game and a league-best 40.1% shooting. Meanwhile, the Lakers have scored fewer than 100 points for nine consecutive games, have remained second to last in the NBA from three-point range (25.7%) and have shot 45.1% overall. It's critical the Lakers remain patient, while adopting the five ways proposed earlier on how to fix their offensive struggles.  

3. The Lakers may have to win with defense. That's become their calling-card all season, and it's probable they'll have to rely on that to secure a win against Indiana. That's because the Lakers have limited teams to 90.06 points per game (fifth in NBA) on 41.1% shooting (third best). Meanwhile, the Pacers have also struggled offensively, ranking 18th overall in points per game (92.9) and 26th in shooting percentage (41.5%). Perhaps that zone defense Lakers Coach Mike Brown has occasionally used will become useful against Indiana. After all, it worked for Sacramento.

All the aching parts in his surgically repaired right knee and sprained left ankle prompted Kobe Bryant to undergo innovative procedures this summer in Germany to repair them. The torn lunotriquetral ligament in his right wrist prompted Bryant to receive pregame injections and wear an oven-mitt-like material after the game.

And the ailing offense that currently plagues the Lakers' team has prompted Bryant to carry even more of the scoring burden.

Yup, it seems like Bryant has relentlessly taken rebuilding project after rebuilding project. That extends past the basketball court, too.

Bryant appeared in a recent episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition, as part of rebuilding efforts in connection to a tornado that swept through Joplin. Mo. He appeared in early October at UC Irvine's Bren Events Center, which organized a clothing drive for the tornado victims.  

A reported 160 people died from a tornado that swept through that region on May 22 and has been considered the seventh deadliest in U.S. history. 

Those who brought clothing were entered into a raffle for a chance to play Bryant in a one-on-one game, which essentially became practice for what might amount to a massive rebuilding effort during the Lakers' 2011-12 season.

RELATED:

Kobe Bryant has role in Extreme Makeover Home Edition

--Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

1. The Lakers hardly had any energy in their 92-80 loss Friday to the Orlando Magic. Mike Brown should seriously reassess whether it was a good idea to ignore his coaching staff and play his starters heavy fourth-quarter minutes in a blowout loss Thursday to Miami. Right when the ball tipped off, the Lakers lacked energy. Say what you want about the compacted NBA schedule, lack of practice time or a cross-country flight before back-to-back games. Yes, all that contributes to any team's fatigue. But Brown needlessly playing the starters heavy minutes against Miami seriously hurt their chances against Orlando.

2. Pau Gasol displayed a tale of two halves. Part of Gasol's listless first-half energy can be attributed to Brown playing him late in the fourth quarter against Miami. The other part of his zero-for-five mark in the first half points to Gasol's disinterest in the game. He settled on too many mid-range jumpers. Gasol normally makes those. But when he's matched up against Ryan Anderson, he has to pound it relentlessly inside. Fortunately for Gasol, he changed his tune in the second half. The Lakers improved their ball movement. He cut more down the lane and into the post. And he remained aggressive enough to post 13 second-half points on four-for-seven shooting. Too bad it came too late.

PHOTOS: Lakers vs. Magic

3. Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard was a disappointment. This was supposed to be an intriguing matchup between the Lakers' rising center and the Lakers' trade prospect. Instead, Bynum fell into early foul trouble for the second consecutive game. With 6:11 left in the first quarter, Bynum was called for his second foul and sat out the rest of the quarter. When he was in the game, Bynum played without much post presence, which partly contributed to Howard finishing with 21 points and 23 rebounds.

Bynum's 10 points on four-for-six shooting and 12 rebounds might have proven to be enough in other seasons. But not now. Instead, Bynum's virtual no-show severely hurts his market value as the Lakers try to explore deals within the next month. 

Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (10-6) visit the Orlando Magic (10-4) on Friday at Amway Center:

1. How will the Lakers' energy hold up? The Lakers have looked tired in their last three games -- against the Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat -- and it remains to be seen whether that will change. The Lakers are coming off the second night of a back-to-back. Even though they entered the fourth quarter trailing Miami 77-56, Coach Mike Brown played his starters most of the final period in hopes they could compensate for lost practices. Considering how slow and unathletic the Lakers are to begin with, their execution could drop significantly should fatigue remain an issue. 

2. Andrew Bynum versus Dwight Howard. Eager to learn and grow, Bynum always uses his matchups with Howard and Tim Duncan as measuring sticks for where he stands. This time around, Lakers officials will surely be viewing the matchup with an eye toward determining how intently they should pursue Howard. If Bynum holds his own, it's possible his market value increases. That could prompt the Lakers to be more restrictive in packaging a deal with Bynum as the centerpiece. In turn, Orlando may be more inclined to demand less in a trade involving Bynum. 

3. Will Kobe Bryant find his sweet spots again? After scoring at least 40 points in four consecutive games, Bryant has shot 15 of 43 (34.8%) from the field in the last two games. It's pretty easy to explain why. In the four games in which he scored at least 40 points, 77 of his 172 points came from either within 10 feet or at the free-throw line.

According to Hoopsdata, Bryant went three for 12 from shots within 16 to 23 feet and zero for three from three-point range against Dallas. According to NBA Statscube, Bryant then shot five for 15 on mid-range jumpers and zero for three from three-point range against Miami. Credit Miami's LeBron James and Shane Battier as well as Dallas' Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry for forcing Bryant out of his sweet spots. But it's clear that the Lakers deviated from setting up Bryant where he has been so effective. 

Several of his players joked about Mike Brown's famously long practices. But in due time, Brown's nickname, "All Day, Every Day," could evoke more frustration than laughter.

Brown admits his bench currently lacks an identity, causing him to shuffle various combinations in hopes something will work. His approach very well could just involve a rearranging of chairs without any resolution.

Kobe Bryant has remained supportive of Brown for his work ethic and attention to detail. Yet even the consummate student of the game openly wondered after the Lakers' 98-87 loss Thursday to the Miami Heat why Brown is throwing out new plays when the team has yet to grasp the original ones.

Brown has admitted some mistakes. He's conducted too many long practices. Bryant, who played 41 minutes in a blowout to Miami, has averaged 37.9 minutes this season when Brown has hoped to play him between 33 and 35. Brown has tried out too many different rosters. It's all part of a genuine effort in hopes of maximizing the Lakers' aging roster. But the Lakers' loss to Miami may mark a turning point in whether the players truly buy into what Brown is selling.

The Lakers have embraced his defensive principles, his welcome personality and his passion for the job. But their loss to Miami shows he's been trying too hard to a fault.

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner report that the Lakers and Orlando haven't had trade talks in "a while." Still, Kobe Bryant has had at least one in-depth conversation with Dwight Howard about coming to the Lakers, but he doesn't think he would be the Lakers' top option.

 Game stories

--The Times' Bresnahan details the Lakers' poor execution in their 98-87 loss Thursday to the Miami Heat.  

--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding argues the Lakers couldn't match Miami's energy.  

--The Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman credits LeBron James for scoring 31 points despite having flu-like symptoms.

--The Daily News' Elliott Teaford explains why the Lakers had no answer for James.

--The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman credits the Heat for having a balanced effort.

Notebooks

--The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Chiang highlights that Lakers Coach Mike Brown contends coaching James ultimately helped land him the Lakers' head coaching job.

--The Orange County Register's Ding explains that Brown played the starters in the fourth quarter to build up their tenacity.

--The Daily News' Teaford looks at the big beast Andrew Bynum faces Friday when he matches up with Howard.  

Sidebars

--ESPN.com's Tom Haberstoh hands out grades to the Heat's roster.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin highlights Bryant's comments that the Lakers' offense remains a work in progress.  

--Sports Illustrated's Britt Robson ranks the Lakers at No. 6 in his latest power rankings.  

--Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Brown always felt like he was walking on egg shells when he coached James in Cleveland.

Columns

--The TImes' Bill Plaschke argues the Lakers don't have a championship-contending roster.

--The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde believes James wanted to send Bryant a message with his performance.

--ESPN Los Angeles' McMenamin examines the Lakers' poor road record.

--The Miami Herald's Linda Robertson argues James dazzled while Bryant fizzled.

--Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson argues Bryant played as if he had an illness.Tomasson also believes Bynum has a lot to prove when he matches up with Howard.

--Yahoo! Sports' Wojnarowski argues Brown's taking a huge risk playing Bryant heavy minutes. 

Blogs

--ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky breaks down the Lakers' loss to Miami.

--Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin argues the Lakers lack depth.

--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell provides a running diary of the Lakers-Heat game.

--Silver Screen and Roll's DexterFishmore argues the Heat would've blown the Lakers out if Dwyane Wade played.

Tweet of the Day: " I played like $h!t 2nite, it won't happen again!" -- Matt_Barnes22 (Lakers forward Matt Barnes)

Rick Friedman Reader Comment of the Day: "It's bad enough to not be able to compete with talent but the Lakers got outhustled and outplayed badly. They frankly didn't seem to show up against the Heat once again. And this is without Wade. Trouble is the Lakers need players - and they gave up a valuable one in Lamar Odom. Bummer revelation in Lakers Land." -- Leon Fisher

--Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers center Andrew Bynum tries to power his way past Magic center Dwight Howard during their NBA Finals matchup. Credit: Los Angeles Times / June 1, 2009.

--ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst reports LeBron James was sent home after morning shootaround because of an illness. Windhorst also argues James and Kobe Bryant aren't' rivals.

--ESPN.com's J.A. Adande believes a Kobe-LeBron Finals matchup is on the horizon.

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan highlights Andrew Bynum's contention that the Lakers must win at least one game in their two-game trip against Miami and Orlando.

--The Orange County Register's Janis Carr compares the Lakers' Big Three to the rest of the league.

--The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Chiang mentions James' status remains a game-time decision. Dwyane Wade will not play against the Lakers because of a sprained left ankle.

--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding argues Kobe Bryant's teammates must learn to match his aggressiveness.

--Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer muses on Dwyane Wade's $230,000 car.

--The Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman focuses on Eddy Curry's debut with Miami.

--ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh details how James and Bryant produce in the post.

--ESPN.com debates whether Bryant or James is the better player.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky asks readers whether they're more interesting the Lakers-Heat game or the Lakers-Magic game.

--Sheridan Hoops' Mark Heisler believes Dwight Howard and Deron Williams could go to the Dallas Mavericks.

--Sports Illustrated's Zach Lowe provides a detailed rundown on Bryant's game.

--NBA.com's Charley Rosen previews the Lakers-Heat matchup.

--The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz believes Shaquille O'Neal said Bynum is the NBA's best center simply to agitate Dwight Howard.

--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell provides a run-down of Derek FIsher's clutchness.

--Fox Sports West's Kiki Vandeweghe previews the Lakers' two-game trip.

--The Hoop Doctors' Brad Washington compared Bryant's performance in 2012 to Michael Jordan's 1995-96 season.

--The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman compares and contrasts Bryant's and James' scoring.

Tweet of the Day: "The Lakers are 3-7 in their last 10 games in Miami and just 1-6 in their last 7." -- mcten (ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin)

Rick Friedman Reader Comment of the Day: It's a new coaching staff, and new system. I think in the current situation, and the ordeals that the Lakers face this season, they've done alright so far. don't count the Lakers out this season... at least not yet." -- Michael K. Yang

-- Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com.

Photo: Miami forward LeBron James might not play in tonight's game agaisnt the Lakers. He was sent home after morning shoot-around because of flu-like symptoms. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant thrives on taking over in the fourth quarter. LeBron James thrives on shrinking when that moment comes.

Bryant remains the consummate workaholic, forever finding ways to maximize his talent through injuries and a high odometer rating. James remains the life of the party, finding ways to maximize his profile through one-hour decision announcements and guaranteeing "multiple championships" at a pep rally.

Bryant continues to dazzle fans by still proving there's enough in the tank to maintain his greatness. James continues to frustrate fans still waiting for that moment to come.

Yup, Bryant and James are two completely different players. After coaching James at Cleveland and currently coaching Bryant with the Lakers, Mike Brown has kind of noticed.

"LeBron likes to have a ton of people around him all the time," Brown said Tuesday night at the "Lakers All-Access" event sponsored by the L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission and hosted by Fox Sports West's Bill Macdonald. "It's almost like he's in high school or college. He's in college and would prefer to live in the frat house and live with 16 or 17 of his buddies. Everything he does includes all of his buddies, all the time."

And Kobe? Well, let's just say, had he gone to college, it would've been unlikely he'd pledge.

"Kobe is probably the opposite," Brown said. "He's a guy people would say, if he's in college, he's mature beyond his years. He'd go watch a movie by himself or go watch a movie with a friend or two and keep his group real small. He's more business-like than LeBron. Both of those guys are competitive and both want to win."

Jason Kapono and Luke Walton clearly have a lot of chemistry. During an event at Staples Center on Tuesday evening, Kapono joked that the first word out of his mouth was "Luuuuke," his voice turning low and exaggerating the word as Lakers fans do when Walton enters the game.

"This guy gets so much love it is crazy," Kapono said of Walton. "He's been here for eight years. He's a casual guy, he's a likable guy."

The love fest continued.

Kapono fawned over Walton's semi-unbuttoned shirt and Walton complimented Kapono's purple tie. "When I grow up, that's what I want to look like," Walton said.

Though the two men obviously respect each other a great deal, when asked who has the most swagger on the team, they chose another teammate.

"I don't think it's possible to have more swag than Kobe," Walton said.

Said Kapono: "Yeah, No. 24 has swag. I don't think anyone else throws on a pair of sunglasses right after practice ends."

-- Melissa Rohlin

The goal remains too early to implement.

But one of Mike Brown's biggest goals beyond compiling as many wins as possible in this compressed 66-game schedule involves lowering Kobe Bryant's minutes.

The only problem: Bryant's minutes have actually increased. Even though Brown has hoped to play Bryant 33 to 35 minutes per game, the Lakers star has actually averaged 37.7. In the last five games, Bryant's minutes per contest spiked to 41. That's far more than the 33.9 minutes he averaged last season and even his career-average of 36.4.

"I talked to [Kobe] about increasing minutes right now," Brown said, "so we can win a few games so we can get a cushion in the win-loss column."

Yet, that short-term goal appears as difficult to juggle as hoping Bryant can reduce his shooting load for the sake of a more balanced offense. Bryant has scored at least 40 points in four of the last five games, but Brown believes a more sustainable strategy would involve an inside-out offense that features multiple double-digit scorers.

But it remains clear Brown doesn't feel fully comfortable with the play of Bryant's supporting cast to reduce his workload and his minutes. He played Bryant 38 minutes in the Lakers' 73-70 victory Monday over the Dallas Mavericks, despite hoping to limit his time to 35.

"If we can get a rhythm on both ends of the floor," Brown said, "it will put me at ease a little bit more."

That remains unrealistic at this point.

Shannon Brown's departure to Phoenix has made it more difficult to give Bryant rest, considering Brown averaged 8.7 points and important 19.1 minutes behind him at shooting guard. That's because the Lakers hardly have good options. Jason Kapono appears more natural at small forward, while rookie Andrew Goudelock often proves to play erratically.

That puts the pressure more on Bryant to produce. 

"He's been doing a great job," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said. "He's definitely been asked to score more this year with the loss of [Lamar Odom], and so have Pau [Gasol] and myself. From our three, we really need big games every night in order for us to be a competitive team."
 

RELATED:

Five things to take from Lakers' 73-70 victory over Dallas

 Mike Brown sees Kobe Bryant's scoring as short-term fix

Kobe Bryant continues to prove dominance

--Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com