Bryant Working Things Out

Based on some of his creative moves and explosiveness to the basket in recent games, Kobe Bryant’s legs are close to being back at full strength, even if his shot might still be a few blocks away.

Bryant began the season rehabilitating his surgically repaired right knee and continued extra weight training and therapy once he began playing in games in November.

Only now has he returned to his normal in-season workout schedule.

“My legs feel great,” Bryant said, one day after missing 17 of 26 shots in the Lakers’ loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

“I’m just doing what I do every season. I always lift weights during the season and I’ll continue to do that.”

Coach Phil Jackson has noticed more spring in Bryant’s step but didn’t necessarily agree with his player’s assessment.

“No, but he’s close and he’s getting better,” Jackson said when asked if Bryant was back to his old self. “He’s improving. We see improvement week by week now. It’s not day by day or game by game, but it’s week by week.”

Bryant, who is shooting 42.3%, figures to be fresher in games, now that he has cut down his daily off-court training from two workouts to one.

“I put in a whole lot of work,” Bryant said. “I’m starting to feel [the results] already. Being able to get out in the lane and run. To be able to shift gears again.

“I’m adjusting my game to being able to play with the athleticism that I lost.”

*

The Lakers have lost two consecutive games and four of their last six. Although part of their problem has been the absence of injured power forward Karl Malone, their lack of team play is starting to bother Jackson.

“I don’t think that I was that puzzled ... as far as the actions that we took as a basketball team,” he said of the Lakers dismal effort against Houston. “We talked about it before [Thursday’s game]. If you don’t execute, you are going to end up shooting outside jump shots and it will be one and done in this game, and it was, down the stretch, for us. We had very few inside things and very few opportunities to get to the basket.”

Friday, Jackson did not have Laker starters work out, but he did have them watch film.

“We’re giving the ball away and at critical times and giving up transition things,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t that bad [against Houston], but over this eight-game span where we’ve been concerned about this team, our offense has kind of led to our defensive problems.”

*

After not being at Staples Center for Thursday’s game, Malone was at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Friday but did not talk to reporters. Jackson said that Malone had not been excused from the game but added that it was not a big deal.

“It’s Christmas and we understand the concerns and things, but much more was made out of that than reality,” Jackson said with a smile. “I don’t know how you [the media] can stand yourselves sometimes.”

Jackson plans to talk to Malone before Sunday’s game against Boston to come up with an understanding until the veteran returns to lineup. Malone, who has sat out the last two games because of a knee strain, does not like to attend games if he is not playing.

*

Gary Payton left practice early to travel to Mississippi for a family funeral. According to Jackson, Payton is expected back for today’s practice and will play in Sunday’s game at Staples Center.