Mike Brown on chemistry: 'It's a marathon'

The Lakers have been linked through anonymous sources to just about every available player since the start of the season, but they have yet to sign any of them.

J.R. Smith, a high-volume shooter coming back to the NBA from China, was the latest to be rumored to come to the Lakers. Smith wound up committing to the New York Knicks, though he did have one conversation with Lakers coach Mike Brown.

The Lakers are trying to grow together with a cast of characters that is already different from last season, considering Brown is running a new system and there are new players such as Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, Andrew Goudelock, Jason Kapono and Darius Morris.

"We don't have the same team as we did last year," Brown said. "Because of who we are, there is a level of expectation. So my job, as much as anything else, is to let our guys understand this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. And we have to get better little by little."

Brown is hoping for a consistent defense by the postseason's start. The offense continues to be a work in progress, with Brown searching for more execution because he doesn't think the Lakers have a creative scorer besides Kobe Bryant.

Brown is optimistic it can come together for the Lakers, who dropped to 18-13 with a 102-90 loss in Phoenix on Sunday night.

"It ain't going to happen overnight," Brown said.

The Lakers next face Portland on Monday night at Staples Center.

NOTES, QUOTES

   --Kobe Bryant told reporters late Sunday night after the Lakers' loss that it was time for the club to make a decision on trading Pau Gasol or keeping him to calm the waters since the preseason attempt to trade Gasol to get Chris Paul. Said Bryant: "I'd rather them not trade him."
   --The Lakers allowed 63 points on 20-of-45 shooting to the Phoenix Suns in the first half of the Lakers' loss Sunday night. Steve Nash committed just two turnovers to go with 14 assists, and Lakers coach Mike Brown was critical of his team's readiness on defense afterward, saying: "We didn't come out with the mental focus to compete."
   QUOTE TO NOTE: "To me, the thing with Kobe is first of all you have to try and keep him off the (foul) line." -- Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry on how to stop Kobe Bryant.

ROSTER REPORT
   PLAYER NOTES:

   --G Steve Blake is continuing to finish many games in place of starter Derek Fisher even though Blake is still recovering from the costochondral fracture in his rib area that cost him a month of the season. Blake does need to control his turnovers; he historically is a low-turnover player but has 10 turnovers in his past four games.
   --G Derek Fisher's streak of consecutive regular-season games played is at 525 after he overcame a case of sinusitis that forced him to miss shootaround Friday. Fisher had 12 points in 25 minutes Friday but did not score in 18 minutes Sunday in the rematch with Phoenix. Fisher's games-played streak is the longest among active NBA players.
   --G Kobe Bryant became the ninth guard in NBA history to accumulate at least 6,000 rebounds, with his performance Friday night against Phoenix. Bryant has a long way to go to catch the leader among guard rebounders: Jason Kidd is the only guard in NBA history to have more than 8,000 rebounds.
   MEDICAL WATCH:
   --G Steve Blake (costochondral fracture) is playing through the injury.
   ROTATION:
   Starters:
   --Point guard Derek Fisher
   --Shooting guard Kobe Bryant
   --Small forward Metta World Peace
   --Power forward Pau Gasol
   --Center Andrew Bynum
   Bench:
   --Guard Steve Blake
   --Guard Andrew Goudelock
   --Forward Troy Murphy
   --Forward Matt Barnes