Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (18-12) visit the Phoenix Suns (12-19) on Sunday evening at U.S. Airways Center:

1. Can the Lakers shake their road woes? You'd think the Lakers would have no issues dismantling Phoenix, especially two days after doing so. But the Lakers' home (13-2) and road records (5-10) remain a strong disparity for a variety of reasons, most notably their offensive execution. So it's way too presumptuous to think the Lakers can replicate their 111-point effort Friday against Phoenix. 

2. Kobe Bryant will light it up again. ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin obtained the Suns' 52-page scouting report on the Lakers, and it provides fascinating details. The revelations aren't particularly surprising, but they are interesting to read considering many of them echo similar sentiments Laker fans express in this forum on a regular basis. The nugget on the Black Mamba: "Bryant is going to get his 30 points, almost no matter what. The key is to have him get 30 points on 30 shots."  

That didn't happen Friday. Bryant ended a seven-game shooting slump in which he shot 37% by dropping 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting, striking a great balance between driving to the basket, shooting from the post and threading the needle on double teams. No doubt, Bryant will score a lot of points in this game. He repeatedly expressed his hatred toward Phoenix for eliminating the Lakers in the first round of the 2006 and 2007 playoffs. That's not going to go away. The key is if the scoring comes within the context of the offense.

Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (17-12) host the Phoenix Suns (12-18) on Friday evening at Staples Center:

1. Look for Kobe Bryant to try to have a big game. He still stews over those first-round exits in the 2006 and 2007 playoffs. Well, duh. But Bryant admitted that that plays into his mentality about why he goes on a scoring rampage against Phoenix. He did the same thing in the Lakers' 99-83 victory Jan. 10, when he scored 48 points despite feeling the early pain in the torn ligament in his right wrist. Derek Fisher has observed that Bryant loves to do this particularly against Grant Hill because he's considered a top defender and entered the league shortly before him.

This strategy may or may not be a good thing. Bryant's numbers have drastically dropped from January to February in points per game (31.2, 24.5) and shooting percentage (45.5%, 37.1%) even though the minutes have remained similar (39.2, 39.1). After going five-of-18 from the field in the Lakers' 84-76 win Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks, Bryant maintained he'd find various ways to receive better looks so he's not always meeting double or triple teams. Bryant didn't speak to reporters after Thursday's practice, so we'll have to wait to get our answers about how he'll adjust against Phoenix.

 2. The Lakers have will have their hands full with Steve Nash. If Father Time hasn't already proved to be enough of an adversary, it's possible Derek Fisher could face some limitations against Phoenix. Though it's unlikely his 524 consecutive-game streak will be threatened, Fisher left Thursday's practice because of sinusitis. Meanwhile, Nash has maintained his efficiency despite turning 38 this year. He's taken on more of a scoring load this season without Amare Stoudemire. Nash leads the NBA with 10.7 assists per year. And, yeah, it's only been a week since the Lakers saw New York's Jeremy Lin and Toronto's Jose Calderon torch them in the backcourt.

Exiting the players' lounge, Metta World Peace stood before a mirror, kissed his biceps and then quickly walked out of the locker room. 

He then followed a shooting routine before the Lakers-Hawks game Tuesday night at Staples Center, consisting of post-ups, elbow jumpers and three-point attempts. World Peace had made 11 of his first 15 attempts, prompting a nearby fan to shout, "Keep it going, baby. Let's go."

After talking with Coach Mike Brown during morning shootaround Tuesday over frustrations regarding his role, World Peace contended he only wants to help the team win. But his comments during training camp envisioning his bench role perfectly mirrored his pregame routine in which he made every shot with ease and observers continuously encouraged him to shoot. 

"When Kobe [Bryant], Pau [Gasol] and [Andrew] Bynum are out, you still have to double-team me," World Peace said during training camp. "You can't leave me open. At all times on the floor, there will be a threat."

Brown then placed his arm around him.

"If that second unit isn't rolling, whose fault is it?" Brown asked.

Said World Peace: "My fault."

Said Brown: "It's on you."

Both bore smiles and exchanged laughs at the time, but there was only one problem. Neither vision that World Peace and Brown outlined seemed remotely realistic. World Peace may see more opportunities on offense as a reserve, but he has also struggled to score. Brown may have pitched the leadership role to sell World Peace on a demotion, but it remained highly implausible the Lakers' goofball could actually fit that description.

Brown may have changed his plans since then by inserting World Peace in the starting lineup, but it shouldn't be surprising that he lamented his frustrations this past weekend to the media about his role.

World Peace's criticism to CBS Sports' Ken Berger about Brown just being a "stats guy" is hardly warranted. It just reveals World Peace's delusional view toward his career-low 4.9 points on 33.8% shooting and slower reactions on defense. But World Peace's frustration with a fluctuating rotation at small forward perfectly reveals Brown's overreaction toward reducing his minutes and elevating him into a starter's role.

Lakers forward Metta World Peace on Mike Brown

Once the ball dropped into the net, Kobe Bryant wore a bored expression.

The Lakers' star surely has become used to nailing game-winners, so the one that secured a 94-92 victory Sunday over the Toronto Raptors  hardly would have excited him. But it also illustrated another example of a game-winning shot masking an otherwise horrific fourth quarter for the Lakers. 

As if they didn't face enough issues with Bryant's high-volume shooting, the frontcourt's inconsistency, the point guard woes and an unreliable bench, the Lakers (16-12) have provided a mixed bag in closing out games. They are 10-8 this season in games decided in the final period and rank 23rd overall in fourth-quarter points per game. Those are damning statistics considering the Lakers' veteran experience. 

Lakers Coach Mike Brown joked with his staff that the team's 3-3 trip could've been 5-1 or 1-5 because of the small margins of victory. The close games are traceable in part to the Lakers' flimsy foundation. But even with their limited roster, the Lakers could've provided more comfort in the standings had they simply executed better.

But based on how the team has played, the prospects of improved fourth-quarter execution remain dicey for a variety of reasons. 

With one spin move, Knicks guard Jeremy Lin drove to the basket uncontested. With one simple pass, Toronto guard Jose Calderon nailed open shot after open shot. With one baseline jab, Philadelphia reserve Louis Williams matched Kobe Bryant's high-scoring rate. 

It's hardly a secret that opposing teams' point guards can easily exploit the Lakers' poor point-guard rotation.  The Derek Fisher-Steve Blake-Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris combination bodes the second-worst unit in the NBA in overall efficiency. That includes points (12.5), assists (5.8) and field-goal percentage (38.9%). It's one of the reasons the Lakers desperately need to add to their roster, even if it's just signing free-agent guard Gilbert Arenas. 

But aside from that move, it remains unclear whether the Lakers' front office will actually pull off a big deal (Deron Williams) or even a small one (Ramon Sessions). It's very plausible that they'll have to make do with what they have — a scary thought considering Mike Brown's admission that the team rarely can stop opposing teams' point guards. 

"When they're playing pick-and-roll, their point guard — if they have some quickness and craftiness — will be able to score," Brown said.

But there are ways to mitigate that beyond hoping Fisher and Blake suddenly become defensive stoppers. 

Some things to keep an eye on when the Lakers (16-12) host the Atlanta Hawks (18-10) Tuesday at Staples Center.

1. How will the Lakers' energy hold up? The Lakers have long maintained that it's unpredictable how they'll fare on the first game back after the annual Grammy trip. In the 2009-10 season, the Lakers followed the trip by eking out a 99-97 win over Charlotte. Last season, the Lakers blew Atlanta out of Staples Center by double-digit margins, but that came after an extended All-Star break. Add in the Lakers' inconsistent chemistry this season and it remains to be seen whether they're wiped out from the six-game trip. Either way, the Lakers' energy level from the beginning should largely dictate how this game will play out. 

2. The Hawks haven't beaten many elite opponents. Atlanta has lost five consecutive games in L.A. The Hawks are 5-9 against teams above .500 and have lost four of their last five home games by a combined 69 points. The Lakers could have a field day with their size the same way the Miami Heat did Sunday against the Hawks. But it's not safe to presume anything with these Lakers, especially when Atlanta compiled wins against Indiana, Portland and Orlando, two of which have already beaten the Lakers.

Just before he spoke, Lakers forward Pau Gasol turned his head.

He had just rambled a bit on why the Lakers don't need to make a roster change before letting out the Freudian slip that "we need something." So when I pressed him on that question, Gasol couldn't help but turn away for 14 seconds and gather his thoughts.

"We just need to play better," Gasol said. "We don't need a particular player. As a team and a player, your mind-set is to work with what you have. We have enough talent here to be able to play better and more consistent."

But the Lakers' performances this season entering Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center show otherwise. They went 3-3 on a trip that featured an identity Andrew Bynum described as "discombobulated." Any sliver of progress, such as closing out wins at Denver and Boston, quickly negated with ugly performances at Utah and New York, respectively. The Lakers rank 21st in scoring (92.7 points), 15th in points per 100 possessions (103.1) and 14th in shooting (44.7%). The added practice time given to them did little to nothing to sharpen the Lakers' development. And the only marquee victory involved one three weeks ago against the Clippers.

In normal circumstances, Kobe Bryant's claim that the Lakers signing free-agent guard Gilbert Arenas "surely wouldn't hurt" would elicit some concerns that have nothing to do with Arenas' suspension for most of the 2009-10 season for his involvement with then-Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton in a locker-room dispute in which handguns were present. It has everything to do with his on-court play.

Still, the Lakers are better served acquiring Arenas than maintaining the status quo. Gasol gazed around the Lakers' practice facility to gather his thoughts about the team's needs, but he easily could have seen various teammates that illustrate why the Lakers need to make roster changes.

Caught in the web: What our colleagues are saying about the Lakers' 93-89 victory over the Nuggets on Friday night in Denver:

--The Times' Ben Bolch writes about how the Lakers won with a flurry of big fourth-quarter plays.

-- ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin recaps 10 things about the grind-it-out win.

-- The OC Register's Kevin Ding on how the Lakers started their road trip with a bang.

-- The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman on how two quality teams tried to find a way to win when not playing well.

-- Land O' Lakers bloggers Andy and Brian Kamenetzky discuss topics of interest in the Lakers' best road win of the season.

-- The Denver Post's Lindsay H. Jones, via the LA Daily News, on Coach Mike Brown staying with Metta World Peace as the starting small forward.

--The Times' Bolch reports that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is staying positive about the team's road prospects.

-- The Post's Nuggets Ink blogger Christopher Dempsey takes a look at an NBA Ironman, former L.A. Verbum Dei star Andre Miller.

ALSO:

Laker's Nation

Forum Blue and Gold

Silver Screen and Roll

-- Dan Loumena

1. An important road win against a conference playoff contender. Let's start with the biggest positive of the night: a quality win on the road against a conference opponent. So it wasn't pretty, but the Lakers still went on the road to beat the Nuggets, 93-89. When they want to know whether you won or lost, they ask how many, not how well you played. The Nuggets (15-8) have proven to be a formidable opponent since the departure of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks as well as Kenyon Martin (now of the Clippers) and J.R. Smith to China. Just as impressive, the Lakers (14-9) overcame some controversial calls, or non-calls, to earn the victory and move up in the Western Conference standings.

2. Broken record: The Lakers need to execute better on offense. Once again, the Lakers continued to have breakdowns in running their offensive sets, often resulting in poor-quality possessions that ended with rushed shots at the end of the 24-second clock. And with Andrew Bynum running hot, how can he end the game with only 13 shots? The Lakers continually failed to get him the ball when he had great post position. A couple of scenarios in the game included the Lakers' two most veteran players -- guards Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant -- failing to get Bynum the ball when he had established himself on the block. Bryant ended up driving wildly into the lane and hoisting an off-balance shot on more than one occasion.

3. Broken record II: The Lakers need to improve their transition defense. Too many times the Nuggets were able to get down the court for easy layups. And that included big men Nene and Timofey Mozgov as well as the speedy Ty Lawson and other perimeter players. The Nuggets are primarily a young and athletic team, and they're not the only one in the West that will torch teams in transition if defenses aren't paying attention. Think Thunder, Clippers, Blazers, Jazz, Warriors, etc.

PHOTOS: Lakers vs. Nuggets

4. Broken record III: Kobe Bryant needs to know when to defer to the big men. Bynum made 10 of 13 shots for 22 points while collecting 10 rebounds and Pau Gasol was five of 10 from the field for 13 points while pulling down 17 rebounds. It became obvious as the game unfolded that the Lakers had the advantage on the front line. When your two big men are shooting better than 65% combined, they need to take more than 23 shots in the game.

5. Andrew Goudelock continues to impress. The rookie guard made six of 10 shots, including one of three from three-point range, for 13 points, his fourth double-digit effort in the last five games. When Steve Blake returns to the lineup, the Lakers' backcourt will have more weapons and depth, plus the ability to give more rest to Fisher and Bryant.

RELATED:

Lakers avoid stumble at start of road trip

GM Mitch Kupchak remains positive despite road woes

Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum lead the L.A. All-Star contingent

--Dan Loumena

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant drives the baseline for a reverse layup in front of the rim against the Nuggets in the second half Friday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Credit: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press

1. The Lakers' 106-73 victory Tuesday over the Charlotte Bobcats featured the Big Three receiving plenty of rest. Let's face it, the Bobcats aren't good. They're the worst team in the NBA -- even worse without injured starters D.J. Augustin (sore toe) and Corey Maggette (strained hamstring). So nothing big-picture can really come out of this except for the Big Three's minutes.

Consider the discrepancy between their minutes Tuesday and their season averages -- Kobe Bryant (27, 38.6),  Pau Gasol (28, 37.7) and Andrew Bynum (32, 34.4). There's only so much development the Lakers can get against a sub-.500 team. So no one should sweat for now about Charlotte's dominating the offensive glass 12-7,  or the Lakers' weak defensive rotations, or a lead that shrank from 26 points to 13 in the third quarter. The Lakers remain a work in progress and one game against a bad team wasn't going to fix that.

So it's good that Coach Mike Brown allowed Bryant and Bynum to ice their knees for most of the fourth quarter. But why put Gasol back in the game for Bynum with the Lakers leading 86-64 and 7:05 left? Leave that duty to Josh McRoberts, who didn't enter the game until the final 4:36. Giving Gasol extra minutes against a bad team provides zero benefit.

2. Bryant started impressively, ended with a dud. It looked like Bryant was on pace for a big scoring night. His 18 first-quarter points on seven-for-12 shooitng came on elbow jumpers, runners and post-ups, meaning the Lakers set him up well in his sweet spots. But he remained insistent on shooting from three-point range, despite going two for 11 and missing nine in a row. His start created some buzz in an otherwise boring game, but it hardly carried through the rest of the night as he finished with 24 points and a scoreless second half.