Lakers veteran forward Lamar Odom says that he still doesn't know how to talk to NBA referees.

"And I'm in my 10th year," Odom said, saying he'd been fined "lots of times for all kinds of things. Maybe in my 11th I'll know how."

Odom added that he has a couple of ways to handle issues.

"When I come in here for my pregame prayer, I always ask God for composure," he said. "I try not to be too emotional."

Phil Jackson once again was critical of the NBA's loophole that allowed Cleveland to deal away Zyrunas Ilgauskas for Antawn Jamison.

"It's something that's going to have to be addressed in the next (collective bargaining agreement),'' Jackson said of the rule in its current form. "It's a sham of sorts to make that kind of trade. You're not really trading a player. You're just trading a money situation. It's a sham, and I think it's a disrespect for the league and the players to be involved in this type of a thing.''

Jackson had expressed disapproval last week about the deal, calling it a "weird situation.''

Jackson said perhaps the rule should be changed to make it a waiting period of multiple months before a player could return to the team that dealt him.

"You only have a rule about not being able to trade the player after you signed him in free agency until mid-December after you signed him in August,'' Jackson said of the rule that calls for a player signed as a free agent during the offseason not being eligible to be traded until Dec. 15 or 90 days, whichever is later. "Maybe something like that could be instituted where it's two or three months ... if it's the same team. Otherwise, it's just kind of charades.''

Lakers forward Ron Artest wants to become an elite defender once again.

"I'm trying to get my defense back to what it was a couple of years ago," Artest said recently. "I think I'm on the path. The second half of this season and then next year, I should be one of the best defenders."

Artest has been battling plantar fasciitis this season and has begun focusing on his diet as well.

He weighted 266 pounds two months ago, more than 20 pounds heavier than what he was when he was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year back in 2004.

Artest stopped eating snacks late at night and has stuck to a diet that is compromised of 95% fish and vegetables.

"I'm moving quick. I think the last four games I've played good defense," he said.

"It started with [Corey] Maggette in the fourth quarter then it went to [Paul] Pierce and then to Rudy [Gay], when I held him below his average. I held Shawn [Marion] a point below his average, although he's not a big scorer."

Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced Friday by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Bynum was fined for his comments made following the Lakers 101-96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

The Lakers essentially switched out Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest and they have been impressed with his level of play, particularly on defense.

Opponents are shooting only 31.8% from beyond the arc against the Lakers, which gives them the best percentage in the NBA.

"Trevor was a late bloomer for us last year," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "A lot of people remember him as a starter, but he came off the bench (until late in the season). (Vladimir) Radmanovic started and Luke (Walton) started.

"We moved a lot of people around. (Ariza) was a late guy who came on (strong at the end of the season). We liked his defense, but he wasn't a 35-minute a night man, and Ron is.

"I think (the Lakers' defense) has gotten better because of the way we play."

Following Wednesday's loss in Dallas, Pau Gasol was asked if the Lakers too frequently coast in games.

"Sometimes we just get a little too comfortable, too confident in games and we don't push hard enough at times to be able to pull away from teams," he said. "You give a home team confidence, they get going, the crowd gets into it. We've got to control games. We have enough guys here and enough quality that we can do that."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will return against the Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Bryant has missed five games with a sprained left ankle and a strained tendon in his left leg.

"I'll be good to go," Bryant said.

He hasn't played since Feb. 5.

"Where I'm at now, I feel confident about playing and while I play getting to 100 percent," Bryant said. "It's about probably 80-85 [percent] right now and the rest of the percentage is made up just through strength."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant hopes to return to the floor on Tuesday night against the Grizzlies in Memphis.

He has missed five games with a strained tendon in his left leg and sprained left ankle.

Bryant practiced on Saturday for the first time since Feb. 15 and came away feeling good.

"I got that I'm able to play," he said.

"Today it felt very, very good. I can jump, I can drive, push off [and] I can get to the basket. It's just a matter of now of how it feels tomorrow, I guess."

Los Angeles has gone 4-1 without Bryant.

With a payroll already at $91.3 million for the 2009-10 season, the Lakers did not make a trade at the deadline.  The team had been frequently linked to Kirk Hinrich and taking on the final two seasons of his contract worth $17 million.

"We had some opportunities," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. "The hardest part is getting something serious going, but obviously at the end of the day we didn't feel anything made sense. If something was overwhelming in terms of helping our roster, we would have done it. But with the opportunities we had, we didn't feel they were."

The Cavaliers and Mavericks were other contenders who made bold trades ahead of the deadline.

"I think of the contending teams, they improved themselves the most," Kupchak said. "Having said that, we're only concerned, really, about our own health and our own play. If we should face either of team, then we'll let it play out. But our concern is getting healthy and playing our best basketball going into the playoffs."

Phil Jackson wondered aloud why NBA rules would allow the Cavaliers to reacquire center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was sent to Washington as part of the Antawn Jamison deal on Wednesday.

Ilgauskas will likely be waived by the Wizards and then re-signed by Cleveland no sooner than 30 days later.

"I don't know what that does for the league," Jackson said. "I think that's kind of a weird situation."