The Lakers are seven games under .500, Pau Gasol is unhappy with his reserve role, Dwight Howard does not seem physically up to the task of playing like his former Defensive Player of the Year self and Mike D'Antoni's crew seems to be unraveling by the day. Even Kobe Bryant - once a staunch supporter of his coach's system - can see that something isn't right, he told reporters after the loss to the Bulls last night: "Obviously, this isn't working."

Bryant expressed his feelings on a number of the perceived Lakers deficiencies to the media throng.

On the issue of Howard's belief that the ball simply doesn't go through him enough on offense, Bryant rejected the premise.

"I've tried to go out of my way to get him the ball," Bryant told Y! Sports. "Sometimes I end up looking like an idiot, because I get up in the air, I've got a shot, but I try to find him. But he thinks I'm going to shoot, so his back is turned. I'm trying to think about getting him the ball a lot – take care of him as much as I possibly can. It takes me out of rhythm a little bit, but I'm fine with that. If that's going to help our team, I'm more than willing to do that."

"We need to go back to basics," Bryant said. "We need to put guys in positions to do what they do best. We need to strip it down. Steve is best in pick-and-roll. Pau is best in the post. I'm best from the free-throw line extended down. Let's go back to basics.

"We've got to evaluate what's going on. Management is looking at it. The players are looking at it. I'm looking at myself. I'm shooting a low percentage right now, and I've got to look at that. It's on me to make shots, but I'm having to make tough shots, getting the ball 30 feet from the basket and [expletive] like that."