Coach Reflects on Odom

PHOENIX —  Lamar Odom has committed two late-game gaffes in the last month, enough to cost the Lakers potential victories and draw criticism from fans and talk-radio hosts alike.

Phil Jackson’s word of wisdom: patience.

“This is my first year with Lamar and I’m learning about some things,” the Laker coach said before Friday’s game against Phoenix. “In end-game situations, he wants to do right. There have been a couple of situations, and everybody has those, if you’re on the line, you make mistakes and that’s where they’re glaring. And you learn from it, hopefully. I know he’s been in a lot of NBA games, but he’s still relatively young and there’s hopes that he can learn from it.”

And if things don’t improve?

“The next step is to keep him away from the activity and keep him off the ball or away from the situation that would create a mistake at that particular time, and I don’t want to do that,” Jackson said. “I think that’s debilitating.”

Odom lined up on the wrong side for the final play Dec. 26 against Washington, which ended with Kobe Bryant losing the ball in a double-team and the Lakers falling, 94-91.

On Thursday, Odom was called for an offensive foul while driving to the basket instead of milking the clock as the Lakers held a late four-point lead against Sacramento. The Kings won in overtime.

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Odom met Friday with USA basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo to discuss Olympic possibilities.

Odom is hoping to join Bryant on a 20-man roster that will report to training camp this summer and then play exhibition games in China and South Korea before the world championships in Japan. There will be another training camp next year, and further training and exhibition games in 2008 before the Beijing Olympics.

“They’re taking it serious,” Odom said, adding that the meeting “went well.”

Odom, one of few bright spots on the 2004 Olympic team that took a bronze medal, was one of three U.S. players to score in double-figures in all three medal-round games.

Bryant and LeBron James have been asked to play on the team, and Clipper forward Elton Brand is also expected to be added.

On Friday, Bryant reaffirmed his statement from last month that he would join the U.S. team.

“We as Americans, we respond so much to challenge,” he said. “ ... We’re so used to being at the top of the sport for so many years and now that we’re not up there, we have a clear challenge ahead of ourselves.”

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Jackson said USA basketball had “done the right thing” and trusted that U.S. coaches would not overextend players, but suggested the Olympic process caused fatigue, even before the more stringent requirements.

“In my mind’s eye, I see little things like Tim Duncan, it looks to me he didn’t have as much vim and vigor last year after playing in the Olympics and going to a second [NBA] Final in a row, and that continuous activity,” he said. “The Olympics is a daunting thing. It wears on players.”