Odom’s Review Mixed

Note to unhappy Laker followers: They’re unhappy too.

One by one, the veterans have met with Laker Coach Phil Jackson for sessions lasting from 30 to 45 minutes, exchanging ideas, visions and frustrations.

A common thread in every meeting was the underachieving ways of a 26-25 team. “All of them that I’ve met with have said that,” Jackson said Wednesday.

The Lakers lost seven games in which they were leading or tied in the final minute of the fourth quarter, a template of a team that can’t win close ones and subsequently can’t be counted on for a playoff appearance.

They finally ended a 2-6 skid with a 94-88 victory Monday over the Utah Jazz, 48 minutes serving as a synopsis of the season when a 26-point lead almost slipped away.

The Lakers are one game behind last season’s 27-24 pace through 51, reinforcing the notion of an underperforming team.

“I felt that we were underachieving a little bit,” Lamar Odom said of his discussions with Jackson. “He feels that like for the second-youngest team in the NBA, we’re doing pretty well. I just think we could be doing better all around as a team.”

As in?

“Our record is kind of deceiving,” he said. “I feel like we are a much better team. If the playoffs started today, I don’t think teams are saying, ‘I want to play the Lakers,’ especially the way Kobe [Bryant] is scoring with the ball. We still have some learning to do as far as the triangle offense is concerned and how to stay aggressive in it as a team.”

As per Jackson’s annual custom, players discussed questionnaires they had filled out ahead of time and were given areas of their game on which to focus the rest of the season. Jackson has yet to meet with all the players, but Odom was satisfied with his coach’s words.

“It’s good to talk to your coach one-on-one and really get to understand what he expects of you and what he wants you to do,” he said. “At the time, I needed it too because I wasn’t really playing that well. It was good to hear from him that he was still kind of like satisfied with the little things that I do, the intangibles that I bring to our team.”

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Jackson noticed that Kwame Brown, scoreless in 31 minutes against Utah, went into a shell after being booed by the Staples Center crowd when he dropped a pass from Odom in the first quarter.

“I think that affected him,” Jackson said. “Once the crowd got irritated with him, he stopped wanting to have the ball. You’ve got to want to have the ball in this game.

“Players have to understand that crowds come to see a performance and they come to see expertise. That’s part of the package that you have to live with.”

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Jackson, on next Thursday’s trade deadline: “We know that we’ve got inexperience at the guard corps. Sasha [Vujacic] and Smush [Parker] are young players with very little experience that played well for us this year. We’d like to have a situation where we can help ourselves with depth.”

TONIGHT

vs. Atlanta, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 26-25; Hawks 15-34.

Record vs. Hawks -- 1-0.

Update -- The Hawks are 27th in the league in defense, allowing 101.3 points per game.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849 or ticketmaster.com.