Bryant Injured, but Not on List

Despite speculation that Kobe Bryant would be put on the injured list for five games, he’ll remain on the active roster, although his sore ankles are expected to keep him out . . . for perhaps five games.

“We spent some time talking about that,” Coach Phil Jackson said before Friday’s game. “But our decision was, it wasn’t significant enough. . . .

“Perhaps he won’t play this weekend [at Sacramento on Sunday and at Phoenix on Monday] and yet we may need him on Wednesday [home against the Kings] or Friday [home against Dallas] before that five games is up.”

Bryant was struggling with two sore ankles on the last trip before re-spraining his left one in the final minute of the already-decided loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

X-rays were negative, but the Lakers decided to rest Bryant, anyway.

The question is, by not sitting him out for five games, are they risking bringing him back too soon and seeing him hurt himself again?

“It’s not a dangerous enough situation where he’s not going to feel better in four or five days,” Jackson said. “That’s an eternity for an NBA player in a recovering situation.

“Obviously in the best of all worlds, we’d probably say, restrengthen the ankle over a period of time and a month is the period of time you’d go on. But we don’t have a month in the NBA game. . . .

“We’re in a situation where we can go from wherever to sixth or seventh place in this conference in an eyelash. . . . This is something that’s important, to have home-court advantage.”

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Jackson said he and Bryant discussed his comments to the Chicago Sun-Times, insisting the two retain a good working relationship.

Jackson told the Sun-Times that Bryant had complained to him that the triangle offense was “boring” and keeping him from realizing his full potential. Jackson also said he’d heard stories about Bryant in high school, “sabotaging” games so he could take them over at the end.

“I think it’s ‘some people’ who are theorizing [a rift] and making a problem out of this,” Jackson said. “Kobe and myself have good communications. We’ve been working at this all year, we’ve been working on it since last year. . . .

“Our communication has been harsh, it’s been more critical this year than it was last year. Last year I was much more patient with him. Yet, he’s still capable of taking coaching and responding to it. Not, often, as well as I’d like him to, but he’s very responsive to it. And our demeanor is genuinely careful and kind around one another and we do it in an adult manner. It has not become harsh or bitter or anything else.”