It was recently reported by this newspaper that Lakers coach Byron Scott might soon sit down with general manager Mitch Kupchak and perhaps vice president of player personnel Jim Buss to talk about how Scott plans on going about developing the young players.

Scott on Monday at practice said that conversation took place with Kupchak during the just-concluded eight-game road trip; the Lakers went 1-7 to fall to 3-21.

“We talked when we were on the road and just talked about some of the things we’ve been doing, what we’re trying to do with the guys, and we’re just going to continue to do it,” said Scott, whose team plays host to the Milwaukee Bucks (10-15) tonight at Staples Center. The Bucks handed the Golden State Warriors their first loss on Saturday.

“The one thing with these guys that we’re trying to do is just keep banging it in their heads how important it is to keep that work ethic, keep working hard,” Scott said. “And Kobe (Bryant), obviously, if these guys really have watched him in his career, he is the poster child when it comes to working out and making sure that you’re ready to play every single night. We’re trying to instill that in our young guys right now.”

That’s not all Scott is trying to hammer into the heads of his young players.

“The other thing with them we’re trying to instill is just team basketball,” he said. “They’re so used to having the ball in their hands wherever they’ve been and if they don’t have it, they go get it. And I’m trying to teach them spacing and just staying away and letting other people play.

“So that’s kind of the trick with them right now is just trying to break old habits that they’ve had since they probably were 9, 10 years old and get them to understand this level of basketball is totally different.”

Kudos for Russell

Scott benched rookie guard D’Angelo Russell and forward Julius Randle before the Dec. 7 game at Toronto, with the idea they would be playing as reserves for the next 10 games or so. In Russell’s case, that meant Lou Williams would start for him.

Russell got back into the starting lineup for the final two games of the road trip when Jordan Clarkson sustained a sprained right ankle and could not play. Clarkson went through a full practice Monday and Scott said, barring a setback, he expects him back in the lineup tonight.

Scott was asked if that meant Russell would start alongside Clarkson. It was a valid inquiry considering Russell’s improved play.

“No, I’m going to go back to the same starting lineup,” Scott said. “I’m going to start (Clarkson) and Lou right now just like I said. I’m going to give that 10 games-plus to see how this unit plays.”

Russell has had his ups and downs, but there have been more ups lately. He did not have a good game at Toronto – his first off the bench – but he scored 23 points and had three assists at Minnesota on Wednesday. He had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists on Friday at San Antonio. However, he scored just 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting with four assists on Saturday at Houston.

Will Russell will be bugged by going back to the bench after his recent play?

“I don’t know if it will bother him or not, but he’s 19 years old, so it probably will,” Scott said.

Scott said he will remind Russell of how well he played at Minnesota in 32 minutes off the bench. The Lakers coach said he’s hopeful Russell will “come out and play the same way he’s been playing.”

Scott praised Russell, who is averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 40.2 percent from the field.

“I thought D’Angelo started coming of age a little bit, really played the last two or three games pretty well,” he said.

Glad to be back

Clarkson admitted he was bummed out about missing the past two games.

“It’s definitely hard because you want to be out there, but you can’t go out there looking like a shot deer,” he said. “So trying to go out there and put a healthy product on the floor.”

Clarkson is from San Antonio, so missing Friday’s game at San Antonio was really tough.

“I did try to go, but it wasn’t flying,” Clarkson said. “(Trainer) Gary (Vitti) wouldn’t let me do that.”