The Kobe watch

	Bryant is fighting an almost no-win battle between his scorer's mentality and the need to keep his teammates involved. Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Chris. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

For a story I wrote on Kobe Bryant 
last week, I had an opportunity to interview Lakers assistant Tex Winter, who had this to say about Bryant's comparisons to Michael Jordan:

"I think he [Kobe] certainly understands the way we want him to play. The question sometimes is that he's reluctant to play the way we want him to. He still has the ability, of course, to score. So, consequently, he's got a scorer's mentality. I think he has involved his teammates more. That's what Michael finally learned to do. Michael at one time was even worse than Kobe at trying to take over the game, going one-on-one. But once he sort of got the idea that it was team concept and that it was important that the ball move, he was much more effective and we got much more effective as a team. He might not have scored as much. And that's sort of the evolution that I see with Kobe right now.

"I think he's in a situation right now where he understands that his teammates have to be involved and he tries to involve them as much as he can. But in his mind, there is still that idea that he's got to be a scorer, which he does. So it's kind of Catch-22 situation with that kind of talent.

"He has a clear understanding of what the offense is all about. It's just a question of him going out there and doing it, making up his mind that this is the way that we've got to play.

"I'm more concerned now about his physical condition. He's having a tough time playing defense. He's playing what I call a roamer defense. He's sort of playing a one-man zone. He's not that concerned about playing a particular player. I think it's as much his ankle as anything else. I think he is protecting himself as much as he can so that he doesn't hurt it.

"The thing about him is that he can rely on that outside shot to score a lot of points. That's how Michael was late in his career. Those guys get to the point where they feel like, `I've got to protect myself.' That game takes a toll if you're trying to take it to the basket all the time. Kobe and Michael, I think, realized that they have to depend more on their outside shooting. Kobe should, because he can be a good outside shooter.''

Darko-mania

Count Magic center Dwight Howard as a fan of power forward Darko Milicic, who through Wednesday was averaging 7.1 points per game while helping Orlando to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

"Before he got here, I saw some highlights of him and I thought he was a good player," says Howard. "He just needed an opportunity to play. I like Darko, he¹s a great guy who likes to have fun. When he first got here he was quiet and afraid to say anything to anyone. But now he clowns and jokes with everyone. On the court, he¹s gaining more and more confidence every day. I'm telling you, he's better than what people think he is."

There is no D in Boston

In case you missed it, that was one angry Doc Rivers who took the podium  after the Celtics' embarrassing home loss to the depleted 76ers last Friday. Rivers called out his players for their lack of defensive effort in a game that saw Philadelphia go to (gulp) Samuel Dalembert on their first four possessions.

"There was no silver lining," said Rivers. 

He's right. Despite injuries to Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak gutting a chunk of the scoring, if Boston hopes to survive their first West Coast road trip (they got pasted by Denver on Tuesday night), the focus needs to be on defense, particularly when it comes to young players like Gerald Green and Tony Allen.