Preview: Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets

The Lakers (0-5) hope to notch their first victory of the season Sunday night when they host the Charlotte Hornets (3-3) at Staples Center.

Last season, center Al Jefferson finished with 40 points and 18 rebounds in a 110-100 Charlotte victory in Los Angeles.

The Hornets, as the Bobcats before their recent name change, have always seemed to give the Lakers a difficult time. Given the Lakers’ heavy schedule, Sunday may be the team’s best chance to get a win over the first few weeks of the season.

Forward Ryan Kelly is questionable with a tight hamstring. The Lakers will still be without Nick Young (thumb), Julius Randle (broken leg) and Steve Nash (back).

Key matchup

The Lakers need to find a way to stop Jefferson, who is a rare low-post, scoring center.

Through six games, Jefferson is averaging 22.7 points with 7.3 rebounds, while shooting 50.4% from the field.

Jordan Hill will get the initial assignment, followed by Ed Davis and possibly Robert Sacre.

Offensively, Hill has shown an improved shooting range this season. Jefferson isn’t the most mobile defender -- Hill should get some open looks from 15 to 20 feet.

X-factor

The Hornets recently gave Kemba Walker a four-year, $48-million extension as the team’s franchise point guard.

Walker is averaging 15.2 points with 5.0 assists a game, but hasn’t shot particularly well (37.0%).

The Lakers need to keep Walker from getting the basket, starting with Jeremy Lin defensively (along with Ronnie Price).

Offensively, the Lakers rely heavily on Kobe Bryant, but are a better team when another scorer emerges.

Lin is averaging just 10.8 points a game this season, shooting 37.8% from the field.

Outlook

The Lakers are desperate for a win. They’ve been off since Tuesday after a very heavy start to the season. The extra time to prepare and rest should go a long way.

Charlotte, a playoff team last season, has a tough, gritty squad, but they can struggle to score on occasion.

The Lakers, if they can somewhat contain Jefferson and Walker, should be able to notch their first victory of the season.

Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.