<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MEMPHIS, Tenn. ? Amid the losses, the slipshod defense and the turnovers that have defined the Lakers, Caron Butler has been relatively stable, one of the few parts in the Laker machine that actually has improved down the stretch. Butler, in his third season, has averaged 20.1 points in the last eight games and flourished in the absence of Lamar Odom. The Lakers haven't fared as well during Butler's renaissance, losing 11 of 12, and Butler's defense still needs work, but he has eliminated a hitch in his jump shot that caused him to misfire often from the outside for most of the season. Butler used to hesitate with the ball briefly above his midsection before deciding to go up for a shot, but his shooting movement has become more fluid. "He's been more aggressive to score, I think his shot selection's gotten better and also ? he's gotten rid of that hitch to some degree and just gone up and shot the ball," Coach Frank Hamblen said. Butler had 21 steals from March 18 until Sunday, the most in the Western Conference, according to Stats Inc., a credible feat when considering the Laker defense is flirting with the league record for fewest steals in a season.</div> Source
