Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers: What's Wrong and How They Can Turn It Around

Phil Jackson has coached 11 NBA Championship teams during his illustrious career that all had one thing in common:  none of them had ever experienced a four-game losing streak.  We now know one thing is for certain: if this year's Lakers team expects to three-peat as NBA Champions, we will experience a rarity, a Phil Jackson record being broken.  

Here are the top five reasons the Lakers are struggling.

Where Is Pau Gasol?

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 11: Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers leaves the court after the Lakers were defeated by the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 11, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 118-112. NOTE TO USER: User

In all fairness, Gasol has been struggling with a tight hamstring, but that doesn't excuse his recent disappearing act.  During the Lakers' current four-game losing streak, Gasol is averaging 14.3 points per game on just 12.5 field goal attempts while shooting only 42 percent.  

On the season Gasol is averaging 20.4 points per game on 53 percent shooting.  The most troublesome stat is the field goal attempts, because 12.5 shots is not nearly enough for the best offensive big man in the NBA.  

The Lakers MUST get the ball inside to Gasol more often, and that advice is directed mostly at one individual...

Kobe Bryant's Slumping Shooting Percentage from Trying To Do Too Much

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 11: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a free throw against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 11, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 118-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledge

Most people will point to Kobe's 32 point per game scoring average during the recent four-game slide and say he is not the problem.  But the real question is not how many points is he scoring, but how many shots is he taking to get those 32 points per game.

During the Lakers' four-game slide, Kobe has attempted 103 shots and missed 60 for a 41.7 percent field goal percentage.  My favorite stat (and the most telling) in basketball is points per shot. Kobe's stat there is 1.24 points per shot.  

For the sake of comparison, Lamar Odom had 25 points on 16 shots in last night's loss, resulting in 1.56 points per shot.  It is all about efficiency in the NBA, and Kobe must get back to that 1.5 points per shot mark in order for the Lakers to turn this ship around.

What Happened To Leading the NBA in Three-Point Percentage?

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 11: Shannon Brown #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 11, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 118-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledg

The Lakers are still leading the league in three-point percentage at 40.7 percent, but prior to their current slide, they were shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range.  During their last four losses, the Lakers are shooting a miserable 26.3 percent from three-point range, which comes out to a 5-for-19 per game average.

Not only are they taking WAY too many three-pointers (as opposed to getting the ball inside to Gasol for high percentage shots), they aren't making nearly enough.

What Happened To the Best Second Unit in the NBA?

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 11: Steve Blake #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 11, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 118-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges a

Most people pointed to the Lakers' second unit as the most important reason for their 13-2 start, and were quick to praise them as the best thing since sliced bread.  Maybe it was a little too much too soon, as the Killer B's and company have struggled mightily.  

Shannon Brown, Steve Blake and Matt Barnes have all come back to Earth, combining for just 79 points during the recent four-game slide, an average of just 19.8 points per game for the group.  

By comparison, in the last Lakers win (which seems like ages ago), the group out-scored the Chicago Bulls bench, 37-10.

The Killer B's must combine to average at least 30 points per game in order for the Lakers to be successful this season.  

Where Is Andrew Bynum and Is He Ever Going To Come Back?

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 17: Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers rebounds the ball in Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center on June 17, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowled

The Lakers were able to hide their lack of inside depth early in the season, but during the Lakers' current four-game losing streak, all of a sudden everyone is asking the same question: when is Andrew Bynum coming back and why is it taking so long?  

Bynum's timetable to return to the court has been the most publicized event in Laker Land since the championship parade in June.  Not only has it been delayed numerous times, but both Bynum and Phil Jackson continue to offer conflicting reports as to when it's actually going to happen.  

The latest projection is for Bynum to make his season debut sometime during the week of December 13-19.  But at this point, your guess is as good as mine.  

One thing remains clear, the Lakers desperately miss his size inside not only from a defensive perspective, but it will also allow both Gasol and Lamar Odom to get a few more breathers during the course of a game so they can be fresh for the fourth quarter.  

Both big men have been noticeably "gassed" as of late, and it has led to numerous mental lapses in crunch time.