First there was Luke Walton's preseason prediction that the Los Angeles Lakers would reach the NBA Finals. Then there was some compelling proof: victories over league titans Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio.

Mixed in, though, were losses to NBA dregs Charlotte (twice), Milwaukee, Memphis, New Orleans (twice), Portland and Seattle - followed by five consecutive losses before the All-Star break. The slippage provides a compelling counterpoint that the Los Angeles Lakers could conceivably slide out of the competitive Western Conference playoff picture.

Bottom line: Even though they're considered neither great nor bad at No.6 in the West, it's uniquely within the Los Angeles Lakers' visible spectrum of colors to finish in the brightest gold light or most dooming purple gloom.

Here are the three areas that can dramatically swing the pendulum:

ROSTER CHANGE

The trade deadline is Thursday, and the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to part with some expiring contracts, young players, draft picks and cash for dynamic veteran help. The problem is that clubs looking to dump aging talent are fixated on Andrew Bynum, whom Los Angeles Lakers vice president Jim Buss takes immense pride in having discovered and recommended. Therefore, Bynum has been off limits even before his development this season. The Los Angeles Lakers aren't altogether comfortable including Kwame Brown's $8.3million salary in a package deal - New Jersey guard Jason Kidd has been most prominently available to the Los Angeles Lakers - given how much the Los Angeles Lakers have missed Kwame Brown's interior defense during his injury absence.

A year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers could have traded Bynum to Indiana for Ron Artest, precisely the sort of tenacious defensive force the Los Angeles Lakers have lacked this season. Had the Los Angeles Lakers done that, you can be sure Coach Phil Jackson wouldn't have scheduled his daughter's wedding for the All-Star break - with no consideration that the Los Angeles Lakers could produce the West's best record and send Jackson to coach the All-Stars.

Making a trade for a proven star now would make the Los Angeles Lakers more able to exchange roundhouses with the league's powers. But Bynum projects to be a long-term All-Star at center, and there's no reason to believe the Los Angeles Lakers will reverse course on that issue. Lamar Odom sold the Los Angeles Lakers on keeping him by being steady early this season. More likely, the Los Angeles Lakers will stand pat and bank on the return to health of Kwame Brown and Walton, believing both are critical "glue" players.

One simple personnel modification to alter the Los Angeles Lakers' fortunes would more likely send things the other direction: If Kobe Bryant got hurt, the Los Angeles Lakers would be hard-pressed to hold off the West teams pushing from behind. So far, Kobe Bryant has been one of the few Los Angeles Lakers not to miss significant action.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

When the Los Angeles Lakers have had their best games, they have blended Jackson's on-court strategic calm with Kobe Bryant's on-court competitive fire for sharp, passionate play. But lately both Jackson's and Kobe Bryant's best personality traits have escaped the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers' recent struggles have featured misdirected aggression in the form of bench arguments (Odom vs. Sasha Vujacic, Jackson vs. Brian Cook) and sweaty palms at crunchtime (nine of the 11 losses in the past 15 games have been close in the fourth quarter).

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak's roster is unbalanced in a psychological sense with Odom, Kwame Brown, Bynum, Smush Parker, Maurice Evans, Ronny Turiaf, Vujacic, Cook and lately Jordan Farmar all tending to be over-emotional on the court. Kobe Bryant has lamented teammates who "become insecure" and aren't "letting it go and moving on."

"That just comes from experience playing in the league," Kobe Bryant said.

Kobe Bryant has pleased Jackson by taking a more patient leadership touch this season, realizing that previous Los Angeles Lakers title teams won because they could keep Jackson's cool.

"I just try to keep the guys focused on execution," Kobe Bryant said.

But Kobe Bryant has been so committed to stabilizing the team that he has not consistently brought his laser-like focus and will to win. After the loss to Cleveland on Thursday, Jackson said: "It was a game in which we just didn't stay focused in winning the game. And that's been one of our problems."

Historically a dominant road performer, Kobe Bryant hasn't had the same strut in foreign arenas - and the Los Angeles Lakers are 11-16 on the road.

"Kobe's got the weight of the team to carry, and it's bearing down on him," Jackson said.

After the loss to Cleveland, Jackson said: "I saw players that had quit in their eyes tonight, and that bothered me. I thought I saw guys who felt defeated."

Has Kobe Bryant gone too far to the softer side and let his team get soft? Kobe Bryant and Jackson need to figure out how to bring out the best attitude from this team. Pushing the right buttons could make the team take off; pushing the wrong ones might mean a meltdown.

DEFENDING HONOR

At 18th in the NBA in field-goal defense, the Los Angeles Lakers rank behind two teams who view defense as math class before recess: Phoenix and Denver. At 18th in the NBA in rebounding percentage, the Los Angeles Lakers give up about one more rebound per game than they get. They also give up significantly more blocks (19th in the NBA) and steals (29th) than they get.

Jackson broke down defensive mistakes on film and implored the team to bring more defensive intensity Thursday against Cleveland. The result: one of the NBA's worst-executing offenses still blasted through the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It's about playing with a certain sense of urgency, I think, and I don't think it sunk in," Jackson said. "I think they're either too young or I didn't bring the message to them strongly enough."

The Los Angeles Lakers are allowing opponents to shoot 46 percent from the field - which would be the worst defense the Los Angeles Lakers have played in 12 years. In Jackson's three championship seasons coaching the Los Angeles Lakers their defensive field-goal percentages were 41.6, 43.8 and 42.4.

That examination doesn't take into account the Los Angeles Lakers' frequent fouling this season, which has them committing 11/2 fouls per game more than the league average.

"Defense is killing us," Smush Parker said.

Asking Bynum, 19, who is learning basic team defense and too often leaves his feet, to be a dependable last line of defense is asking too much. Though he has made major strides in pick-and-roll defense, he flops around like an overly playful puppy most of the time.

Kwame Brown should be back soon to offer a more physical presence. Kobe Bryant has been inconsistent staying in front of guards but has said his surgically repaired knee won't be truly trustworthy until this part in the season. Odom, the Los Angeles Lakers' most valuable defender for his ability to switch onto anyone, missed 21 games with a sprained knee - prompting Jackson largely to give up on defense and try to outscore opponents.

That will not be Jackson's plan the rest of the season. The results he gets could finally satisfy him - or just cause the frustration to mount.

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