Lakers Are Up to Old Tricks

The more things change, the more they look like the Lakers of last season.

With their new coach, new offense and six new players, the Lakers put on a familiar old show Monday, scoring sporadically, defending with mild interest and almost setting the type of record that wouldn’t be included in any season-ending video montages.

Phil Jackson called it a “pathetic” effort, with little argument, after the Lakers were finished losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, 85-73, in FedEx Forum.

The Lakers had 33 points by halftime, 47 after three quarters and would have tied a team record for fewest points if not for Chris Mihm’s three-point play with 23.4 seconds left.

Kobe Bryant had 18 points and would have been the only Laker in double figures if not for Mihm’s last-minute effort, apparently one of the more important plays of the game. Mihm had 11 points.

“These games sometimes dictate their own kind of malaise,” Jackson said. “[The Grizzlies’] shooting was good the first half and they didn’t shoot well the second half at all, but we couldn’t take advantage of it because we were pathetic.”

Unlike in Philadelphia three nights earlier, there were no chants of “Beat L.A.” No need.

The Lakers best themselves, again and again, as a group of in-line skating Dancing Elvises provided entertainment during timeouts, and, more subtly, Grizzly President Jerry West watched from his luxury suite.

After three quarters, before the benches started to empty, the Lakers had 19 turnovers and had made 18 of 55 shots (32.7%).

Their ball movement was shoddy, their shooting was dicey and their post players were again ineffective, Mihm and Kwame Brown combining for 18 points on seven-for-24 shooting.

Just a few hours earlier, in a paradox of sorts, Jackson talked about how things had changed without Shaquille O’Neal.

“With Shaq, you had someone you can throw the ball inside to,” he said. “That made it a lot easier for players and coaches to have someplace to go when tough times were happening out there defensively against your ballclub. But we’re exploring life without Shaq and enjoying it too.”

There was little joy after the game.

It appeared the Lakers were on their way to breaking the team record for fewest points -- 70 against Cleveland in November 2002 -- but they scored 26 in the fourth quarter after putting up 21-12-14 in the first three quarters.

“We played poorly,” said Lamar Odom, who scored seven points in 28 minutes. “That’s what you expect. When you’re doing everything to lose a basketball game, doing all the things you need to do to lose, it doesn’t surprise me. We’re not sharing the ball, not moving the ball, not trusting one another offensively and defensively.”

Bryant had another off-night, making seven of 18 shots and playing tentatively, passing up shots he would normally take in the first and second quarters, Jackson noted.

Bryant, bothered by a mildly sprained right index finger he suffered last week against the Atlanta Hawks, wasn’t overly irritated by the Lakers’ lack of production against the Grizzlies, continuing to preach patience.

“I thought we would have our ups and downs,” Bryant said. “It’s a new system, we’re trying to learn it. Moving the ball, spacing, timing, rhythm, things like that. I knew it would kind of be like a roller coaster ride.

“Everybody’s trying to figure things out for themselves right now. We’ll take our lumps and we’ll also give some out.”

Perhaps the only fair news for the Lakers was the injury prognosis for Andrew Bynum, who limped off the court after banging knees with Memphis forward Mike Miller but said later he should be fine.