Among the highlights of my breakdown on the Lakers' 114-95 loss Monday to the Clippers:

• Why the Lakers have plenty to fix on defense, including closing out on the perimeter, sharpening up on transition defense and exerting more effort.
• Although Pau Gasol (16) and Andrew Bynum (15) each hit double figures, the Lakers appeared uncomfortable establishing their inside game.
• One bright spot: Kobe Bryant looked much healthier, scoring 15 points on five of 10 shooting and going 12 of 15 from the free-throw line. He still remains a work in progress on defense, though.
• It's only a preseason game. Don't freak out. But the Lakers clearly show that mastering the offensive and defensive concepts could prove to be a long-term process.

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Six things to take away from Lakers' 114-95 loss to Clippers

-- Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com