Foul-prone Bynum might start on bench

Not a great day for the Lakers, even though it was the end of the week and the snow looked fresh on the nearby mountaintops.

While the Lakers were still pondering Andrew Bynum’s playoff slump and Kobe Bryant’s Game 3 shooting skid, word trickled out that Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur would make his playoff debut tonight in Game 4.

Then Coach Phil Jackson revealed he was considering a lineup change at center, preceded a few minutes earlier by Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic mixing it up at practice, pushing each other and exchanging words toward the end of a scrimmage.

The Lakers lead the Jazz, 2-1, in a best-of-seven series. Can’t they all just get along?

Jackson sat off to the side in flip-flops, casually taking in everything. He has seen worse, for sure.

He might also see visions of a different starting center tonight, saying Friday it was “possible” that changes could be coming.

“We’d like him to play [better],” he said of Bynum. “We’ll see what will happen.”

Bynum is averaging seven points, three rebounds and four fouls this series, so Lamar Odom might be elevated from the bench to start against Carlos Boozer. Pau Gasol would slide over to center to guard the versatile Okur, who led the Jazz in three-point percentage (44.6%) and was second in scoring (17 points).

Jackson practically welcomed the return of Okur, sidelined by a strained hamstring since April 13.

“I think it’d be good for us,” he said. “I think that’s what we need. We need to have a lineup out there that challenges us and makes us play the way we should play.”

Meanwhile, Bryant couldn’t recollect the last time he shot as poorly as he did in Game 3.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Can’t remember.”

It was Dec. 20, 2004, a two-for-16 outing in an 82-72 home loss to Memphis.

On Thursday, Bryant missed his first five shots, was one for 10 in the first half and finished five for 24 (20.8%). He missed eight of his last nine shots as the Lakers fell, 88-86.

Bynum couldn’t stay on the court long enough to do much beyond four points and two rebounds in seven minutes. He had five fouls and did not play in the fourth quarter.

“These guys have to lock down the definition of who they’re playing against,” Jackson said.

“When I asked [Bynum] what Jarron Collins is known for, the first thing he said was, ‘He flops on offensive fouls.’ [Collins] created a foul in that type of situation that got him his fourth foul and put him in jeopardy.”

Said Bynum: “Offensive fouls are killing me, and trying to prevent easy dunks are killing me. On the defensive end, I’ve got to get there earlier.”

Free-throw woes

Gasol made 78.1% of his free throws this season, a decent number for a big man.

He has been anything but decent from the stripe against the Jazz.

After missing two free throws near the end of Game 2, Gasol missed six of 10 in Game 3.

While the reserves (and Bynum) scrimmaged at one end of the court Friday, Gasol stood at the other end and shot free throw after free throw.

Jackson even sat near the basket at one point, waving his arms and pretending to be a Jazz fan.

“In a two-point game, every play and every detail is so important,” Gasol said.

“So you always have to start looking at yourself and what you did during the game that you could have done better, and obviously it’s those free throws that I missed. It could have been a difference if I made them.”

Neither team shot well from the free-throw line in Game 3. The Lakers made 16 of 26 (61.5%) and the Jazz made 18 of 28 (64.3%).

Farmar forgotten

Lost among the fact that Bryant couldn’t hit from outside, Gasol couldn’t hit free throws and Bynum couldn’t stop getting hit with fouls was the fact that Jordan Farmar didn’t play in Game 3.

It was the first time since March 30, 2007, that Farmar was a healthy scratch. He was a rookie that season.

Sixth man award

Odom finished fourth in the voting for the NBA’s best sixth man, won by Dallas guard Jason Terry.

Denver guard J.R. Smith finished second, followed by New York guard Nate Robinson. Lakers forward Trevor Ariza tied for 17th, receiving one third-place vote.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com