LAKERS NOTEBOOK: WINTER WEIGHS IN ON BRYANT.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO - The comparisons to Michael Jordan have become inevitable for Kobe Bryant, who came into Thursday's game against Sacramento leading the NBA in scoring at 34.3 points per game, the highest since Jordan averaged 35.0 in the 1987-88 season.

There are few opinions more esteemed than that of Tex Winter, the octogenarian coach who said he can see Bryant trying to prove the same thing Jordan did with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s - that a high-scoring guard can lead his team to a championship.

``I think he feels like he has to carry more of the load than he ever has before,'' Winter said of Bryant. ``That's probably so because some of these other guys have to step up and hit shots.''

But Winter, who was with the team Thursday, part of the week or so he works each month as a Lakers consultant, added that Bryant faces the same challenge as Jordan in that he cannot do everything on his own.

``Complementary players is what makes the difference,'' Winter said.

On that subject, Winter was asked for his assessment of forward Lamar Odom developing into the Scottie Pippen to Bryant's Jordan. It has been a season-long theme, with Odom posting near-triple-double numbers some nights and disappearing on others.

``Lamar is like Pippen only in that he can do a good job on the defensive boards and come out of there with that ball,'' Winter said. ``He doesn't finish at the tail end or see the game at the tail end of the break nearly as well as (Pippen), but there'll be times when he'll see that direct line and take it to the hole.

``He's got to be more consistent. He's got to become more of a factor. He should never be satisfied with five or six points.''

Winter said he has seen improvement in how the Lakers run their offense but would like to see more consistency. Bryant, meanwhile, is playing at one of the highest levels of his career, although Winter said he could do things a little better in a couple of areas.

``He can give the ball up more, hit the first man that's open a little more, play without the ball a little more,'' Winter said. ``Defensively, he needs to be fundamentally a little sounder off the ball. He's a good on-ball defender but off the ball he wants to gamble too much.''

Of the Jordan comparisons, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said: ``Ever since Kobe's established himself, he knows that he's a different player, it's a different legacy, and he's going to have his own legacy and not have to be compared to Michael.''

--Meeting of the minds: Odom will meet as scheduled today with Phoenix Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo, who is heading the selection process for USA Basketball leading up to the 2008 Olympics. Odom played for the U.S.'s bronze-medal winning team in Athens.

``I'm just going to talk to him and let him know what a great time I had (in 2004) and how I want to go back,'' Odom said.

--Also: Bryant remains on pace to start for the Western Conference in next month's All-Star Game. Bryant and Yao Ming lead all players in fan voting with the NBA reporting fourth returns Thursday. ... Jackson didn't feel like discussing the meeting he had over the summer with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof about possibly coaching in Sacramento. ``It's a tender topic and I'd just as soon not talk about that,'' Jackson said.

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

LAKERS at PHOENIX

-Ross Siler