OC Register HONOLULU ? Phil Jackson said: "Kobe, that should be a switch." Kobe Bryant responded: "All right." Jackson approached and offered further explanation of why Bryant should have changed defensive assignments. Bryant nodded and said again: "All right." Moments earlier Sunday, Jackson had chided Bryant for not offering the proper help defense on another play in Lakers practice. Everything that transpired in the past isn't preventing Jackson from coaching Bryant in the present. After practice Sunday, Jackson answered a question about his expectations of Bryant on defense this season with a criticism of Bryant's most recent season. "With Kobe, his upside is so great with his quickness and his ability," Jackson said. "Last year, I thought Kobe really had a down year defensively. He was trying to do a lot and trying to get the ball back a lot of times. And he doesn't have to do that with this team as much. We're going to help each other out more." Bryant tended to chase the ball and seek steals even in Jackson's previous stint as Lakers coach. After the 2002-03 season ended with a second-round playoff loss to San Antonio, Bryant and Jackson agreed Bryant was better suited to defend the opposing team's ball-handler than chasing a shooter through picks. The Lakers signed Gary Payton as a free agent, however, and the arrangement changed. Now Jackson plans to get Bryant back to on-ball defense more - just how much depends on how good Smush Parker is at it. Parker, in line to be the Lakers' other starting guard, is 6-foot-4 with the quickness to smother opposing point guards. Jackson grouped his projected starting lineup on one unit Sunday: Parker, Bryant, Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm. But Bryant frequently will be out there without Parker. So Jackson is looking forward to putting Bryant on Golden State point guard Baron Davis this week in exhibition games for a barometer of where Bryant's on-ball defense stands. Bryant spent the summer slimming down and quickening his feet. Source
