Brown, Bynum to Pick Up Time

Chris Mihm walked slowly and deliberately across the locker room with a wooden crutch under each arm, a sore sign for the Lakers’ immediate future.

Arguably the team’s third-most important player, Mihm is sidelined indefinitely, probably a few weeks, a team official said after the center sustained a severely sprained right ankle in Sunday’s 120-113 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Mihm, averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, was injured after appearing to come down on the foot of Seattle forward Rashard Lewis with 48.4 seconds to play. Mihm had jumped to defend a layup by Chris Wilcox.

“I definitely felt something pop in there and it’s swollen up pretty big right now,” he said. “I felt it when I came down. I felt it swelling right away. I knew I’d done something.”

Mihm, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds at the time, left Staples Center in a medical walking boot, a heavy dose of anti-inflammatory medication and ice awaiting him. His absence will mean more time for Kwame Brown, who was scoreless against Seattle, and rookie Andrew Bynum, who had sat out six of the last seven games before logging five minutes against the SuperSonics.

“We will have to wait and see what we do with this basketball team,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I would guess that Kwame would start and Andrew would be a backup player.”

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Tex Winter was back in town, that time of the month for a Laker analysis of all things triangular.

Winter, 84 and still consulting, liked what he saw from Lamar Odom in recent games, slowly coming on board with the forward after criticizing him for lack of consistency earlier in the season.

“Odom is sensing a little bit more what he can accomplish out of the format of the offense,” Winter said. “I think he’s more comfortable now in reading the defense, making the right reactions and counteractions to how the defense is playing. Consequently, he’s created more opportunities for himself to score, which I think he’s got to do.

“Of course his strength, what really helps us, is his defense and his defensive board play and powering out of there with that ball. It’s helping our running game and opening up the floor a lot more for us.”

Winter, like most other Laker followers, senses the pattern of the season -- some quality victories but too many losses to inadequate teams.

“They can play the game, but they sort of play down to their competition because they’re not great,” Winter said. “They may be fair or pretty good, but they’re not great. That’s what happens to a team like that. There’s not that much margin for error if they’re not having a good night.”

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Odom was one of many unhappy Lakers after losing to Seattle.

“I don’t know if it’s youth, I don’t know if it’s a heart thing,” he said. “Hopefully it’s not a heart thing and it’s just youth.”

Odom made it clear the loss could not be pinned on fatigue, even though he and Kobe Bryant have each averaged more than 41 minutes in seven games this month.

“I’m not tired,” he said. “Kobe’s not tired. It’s not time for anybody else to be tired.”