Inside the Numbers: Lakers Trending Up

Nick Young, Steve Blake, and Jordan Hill have all been positively affected by the Lakers' new lineup.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons on Sunday evening, and there were three obviously positive trends with three players developing. Here is a look inside the numbers:

10 – Nick Young has scored over 10 points in 10 of the Lakers’ 12 games this season. In the win over the Detroit Pistons, Young scored 19 point on 54 percent from the field. Young has shot greater than 50 percent from the field in three of the Lakers’ last four games. Coincidentally, Young was moved to the bench four games ago. According to Lakers' coach Mike D’Antoni, Young has been accepting of his reserve role, and Young has told reporters numerous times that he is interested in winning Sixth Man of the Year.

10 – Steve Blake has passed off 10 or more assists in each of the last four games. Blake had a season high 16 assists against the Pistons on Sunday, and that was his highest assist total as a Laker. Prior to the past four games, Blake never even recorded a 10-assist game wearing Lakers' purple and gold. Remarkably, he has now done it four times in a row. Not coincidentally, D’Antoni changed the Lakers’ lineup four games ago, and Blake is another of the Lakers flourishing with the new set lineup.

10 – Jordan Hill has three double-doubles since moving into the starting lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans. Over those four games, Hill is averaged 18.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. In Sunday’s win, Hill set career marks for points (24) and rebounds (17). Incredibly, the previous four games have featured Hill’s first double-doubles since Devin Ebanks was starting and Ramon Sessions was running the point. It has been a while. Since moving into the lineup, Hill has played like an All-Star. If his play keeps up, it would be impossible not to start a charge to get Hill into the NBA's premier exhibition game.

The Lakers are beginning to click with Blake, Hill, and Young flourishing. With Kobe Bryant’s return creeping up, the Lakers have the potential to rapidly improve exponentially.

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