Monsters at midpoint? No, but not bad, either

With snow packed on the ground and more flurries in the forecast, central Oklahoma seemed as good a place as any to dissect the way the wind has taken the Lakers this season.

A 113-103 loss Saturday to the New Orleans Hornets marked the halfway point of the Lakers’ regular season, met with a 26-15 record that compares favorably to 22-19 the previous two years.

There have been slips and falls, most notably a leaky defense and a glaring inability to win road games against weaker teams.

On the other hand, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown have missed a combined 30 games, Chris Mihm has missed them all, and yet the Lakers have the fifth-best record in the league.

“We’re pleased with where we are,” Kobe Bryant said. “We just feel like we can improve and we’ll continue to do that. You know, 26-15 right now ain’t bad. I know a lot of so-called experts didn’t expect us to be where we are right now.”

Coach Phil Jackson cited the growth of Andrew Bynum, the emergence of Luke Walton, the dependability of the bench and the team’s overall passing ability as plusses.

“We’re happy,” he said before Saturday’s loss. “We’d like to have the best record in the league, but we don’t. We know we’re not there yet as a basketball club, but to be in the top five, six teams in the league, that feels good for us.

“If we can still have that performance in the next 25, 30 games, we’ll be right there when we get down to the end of the season to make a run for our division.”

He also talked about Bryant, whose scoring average (27.9) is down more than seven points a game from last season, but whose assists have increased, and whose demeanor has been more deferential.

The differences in Bryant, as observed by Jackson: “I think better shot selection. He doesn’t have to feel that he’s got to get all the points at once or keep us in the game. He can play it out, kind of measure the game as it comes to him. He’s sharing the ball a lot. He’s supporting his teammates, kind of in a mentor role.”

Jackson said the defense still needs work, and there’s also the matter of those sloppy losses to Memphis, Charlotte, Portland, Seattle and New Orleans (twice).

At the very least, it’s been a more entertaining regular season than the previous two.

“By far the fastest season I’ve even been a part of,” Walton said before Saturday’s loss. “We are having a blast. We’re having a good time.”

*

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com