Lakers Coach Phil Jackson described his team's defense against a lowly Minnesota Timberwolves team that was playing Sunday without its best player as "pathetic."
It was enough of a concern for Jackson that Monday's practice was all about finding a solution to the Lakers' defensive problems.
The Lakers straightened it out against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, but the Lakers will face two offense-minded teams in the coming days that will test their defensive mettle.
"That's a matter of focus," Jackson said after practice Wednesday. "The depth of the season and the pressure that the amount of games puts on you, sometimes your defense becomes lax, and we just knew that we could outscore everybody. That's a complacency that you don't want to get caught in."
Defense has been a season-long theme for the Lakers.
They are tied for 18th in most points given up (100.6).
They lead the NBA in scoring (108.9), but it is their defensive woes that keep causing a stir.
"I think we could push ourselves defensively a little bit more, compete against ourselves," Lamar Odom said. "I think right now sometimes we look at a team's record, who they've got on the court, kind of play down to the level of our competition."
The Lakers' next three games are against teams that can score.
They meet the Phoenix Suns tonight at Staples Center, followed by a trip to Denver to play the Nuggets on Friday, then a rematch Sunday with the Suns at US Airways Center in Phoenix.
The Suns are averaging 106.5 points per game, third-best in the NBA. The Nuggets average 103.1 points per game, sixth-best in the league.
Jackson noted that both the Suns and Nuggets "are highly potent offenses."
"If you don't play defense and you just have to try and outscore teams like that, you're going to get caught in a bind," he said.
Marbury to Boston?
The question brought a smile to Jackson's face.
He was asked to respond to the New York Knicks buying out the contract of controversial guard Stephon Marbury on Tuesday and the reports that he'll sign with the Boston Celtics once he clears waivers.
"How much did he get when he got bought out? Did he get as much as Citibank got?" Jackson mused, laughing, referring to the government bailout of the banking giant. "He might have to give Citibank a loan."
Jackson was told it was unclear how much Marbury received of his $20.8-million contract.
