The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most well-known sports brands in the United States. In the same class as the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Celtics, the Lakers have a logo and a brand that transcends sports in general, giving them recognition worldwide as well.

However, that doesn't give them any help on the basketball court, as the team has been mediocre as of late with a 5-5 record in their past 10 games. On Thursday night, they suffered defeat to a young Charlotte Hornets team at home, one whose record doesn't really reflect the level of basketball they can rise to.

Due to the brand of the Lakers, it may cause players or even teams as a whole to step up when playing against them, knowing there will be more attention on them in the bigger market. Additionally, going up against stars like LeBron James and Luka Doncic, players mainly want to compete with the best.

After the game, head coach JJ Redick was asked about the idea that teams play up another level when going against the Lakers, and he very much so agreed with that philosophy.

"I think in general, these guys grew up watching LeBron James play. The Lakers are like the Celtics, you know, arguably the most storied franchise in all of sports. We've mentioned it as a team...we don't get a lot of off nights from other teams in terms of energy...," Redick said.

That can be reflected in some of the losses the Lakers have this season, getting strong performances from the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and recently the Hornets. While the Lakers had their own mishaps in those contests, their opponent's also played much better than their record reflects.

While there's truly some validity to that statement, Redick and the players know that it can't be used as an excuse. When it comes down to the problems on the Lakers' team, it isn't the other teams playing so much better, but it's the Lakers' lack of three-point shooting or rebounding inconsistencies.

Additionally, both LeBron James and Luka Doncic have thrived in their career when the pressure is at its highest, so why not have that on almost a nightly basis when teams are constantly giving them their A-game?

The Lakers might have some non-playoff level teams in their upcoming schedule, but they also have teams like the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks, all teams that are hard to defeat when they're playing their best basketball.

A return from Austin Reaves will certainly make things better, but this Lakers team can't afford to fail to execute the little things, or else they'll be playing for the Play-In Tournament sooner rather than later.