Winter

For the first time in 57 years, coach Tex Winter isn't "on someone's payroll." Winter, who spent more than 2½ years as head coach of the Rockets in the early '70s, joined the Chicago Bulls in 1985 as an assistant. When Phil Jackson took over as Bulls head coach in 1989, Winter helped the Bulls and Jackson to six NBA titles in the '90s by providing the blueprint for the Bulls' offense: The Triangle. When Jackson signed on as coach of the Lakers, Winter and the triangle offense went West with him and they won three more titles together. In advance of the Lakers visiting LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Coach Winter talked to NBA.com about the Lakers and whether he thought Jackson would ever return to the NBA.

Bryant being with the team even when injured shows leadership. Ray Amati/NBAE/Getty Images

If you talk about the Lakers, you have to start with Kobe Bryant. And I think the biggest change in Kobe this season has been his leadership. I think Kobe started out feeling that he wanted to show a lot of leadership. I think he's even shown more leadership during his injury. He has really been an inspiration to those guys on the bench. He's traveling with them ... that's super. He's showing a lot of enthusiasm, he's encouraging the young players and helping them when he can. And I'm sure they have enough respect for him that they'll listen. I imagine they feel like they're on their own too much.

I think his leadership has been the outstanding difference this season. It's a new team and new players, I believe he feels he needs to exert a lot of leadership and he's been doing that this season.

Traveling with the team is important for Kobe

It's often true that an injured player won't travel with the team because they're back home rehabilitating their injuries. But on longer trips like the Lakers are on now, the trainer, Gary Vitti and the conditioning coaches are with the team on the road. So, it's probably apropos that Kobe stays with them.

I also feel it's a great lesson for Kobe himself to be on that bench and see what's happening out there. He's going to learn from this experience because he has involved himself.

Kobe can learn from this trip

I think he can learn the importance of team play, ball movement and not just relying on one individual and that everyone has to act. Everybody has to play their role, whatever it is. It's a team game and I think Kobe knows that, but because of his great individual talent, oftentimes he'll forget and try to do too much.

Recent road trip has been a whirlwind for the Lakers

The whole trip has been an amazing experience for them. If Brian Cook hits that shot, which went in and out, they win a big game in Houston, coming back from a large deficit. Then you have Atlanta, where it looks like they weren't even in the ballgame and folded their tents, yet they come back and have a chance to win it.

Of course, Wednesday, they faced a good New Jersey team and they did come back and win when it looked like they were completely out of it. The thing that impressed me more than anything else is that they hang in there. They don't give up. That's important, regardless of the score. A lot of things can happen in the pro game. It's a marathon; 48 minutes is a long time.

Hamblen will provide stability

New coach Frank Hamblen understands the pro game. He's been in it a long time. As a matter of fact, he was my scout when I went with the San Diego Rockets, which a couple weeks later became the Houston Rockets. I've been associated with Frank for a long time and I have a great deal of respect for him in his knowledge of basketball and the pro game. He understands it as well as anybody.

I think the main thing is since he does understand it, he understands the momentum changes that take place. I think he can motivate the players to hang in there and keep playing because things can turn.

Winter can see Jackson manning a clipboard once more. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

Lakers don't have much time to change the schemes

I think if Hamblen had a chance and time [to change their strategy], he would. I think even now, he may implement certain phases of the old Lakers offense, but right now it's a question of time. He also knows the game well enough to know that you can't make a whole lot of changes midstream. You have little time to teach and make a system function. So, consequently, I think he's relying more on the pro sets and the individual talents and matchups, which he understands.

I think he'd put in part of the triangle offense, but again, he doesn't have time.

The Lakers have it in them to make a playoff push

I think they can make the playoffs. They're three games above .500 and it has to stay that way and they need to win at least half of their remaining games. I don't know where that would take them, but that should keep them close to a pretty good position for the playoffs.

Phil's name will always be the first one mentioned when a job opens up

Phil Jackson's name will come up for every job that comes available, whether it's the Lakers job or any job. Why wouldn't it, with his credentials and his credibility? Also, he has pretty close ties with a certain individual as far as the Lakers are concerned. There's a possibility that he'd be considered by the Lakers.

If his health is good -- he's touring in Australia and New Zealand presently -- if he gets the itch and his health is good and he feels he's ready for the rigors of another very difficult NBA season, which as Rudy found out, isn't easy, then who knows? So, health becomes an important factor and if he is healthy and the right situation develops, I wouldn't be surprised if he looked into it.