Bryant Displays Efficiency

Kobe Bryant, who once called the triangle offense boring, is now thriving in it.

Three games do not a most-valuable-player season make, but Bryant is averaging 36.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists, numbers that have him finding the triangle to be a little less square.

“I just have a hunger and a passion for the game like I’ve never, ever had before,” he said.

Never, ever had before?

“It’s a new challenge,” Bryant said. “I had the same zest for the game a few years ago when Phil [Jackson] got here and they proposed a challenge to me to become a facilitator. My hunger just increased to a level it never was before because it was just a completely new challenge. Now it’s the same situation.”

Bryant, 27, often brought up the ball in Jackson’s first go-round with the Lakers, but now he sets up on the wing as a small forward. With Lamar Odom bringing the ball up, teams cannot try to muscle Bryant up and down the court, allowing the seven-time All-Star to conserve more energy.

Bryant has scored 33, 39 and 37 points in the Lakers’ first three games and is shooting 49.4% after tumbling to 43.3% last season, his worst mark since his second season.

His game has been “decisive and concise,” Jackson said after Bryant’s 37-point, eight-rebound, five-assist effort Sunday against Denver.

And to think it wasn’t that long ago -- a preseason luncheon in 2001 -- that Bryant took offense to Jackson’s triangle, saying it “does win championships in June; but December, January, it’s boring as hell.”

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From the now-it-can-be-told department: Jackson had been playing cat-and-mouse with which Western Conference teams he expected to make the playoffs, but he finally revealed some of his thoughts.

“I only had like four teams I felt were really going to be top-notch teams up at the top of the group. Maybe five,” Jackson said. “But I did think Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver are legitimate teams that are going to come in. I think Minnesota will rebound, even thought they’ve had a hard start.”

Jackson characterized the Lakers and Clippers as teams that will be chasing the final three playoff spots in the West.

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TONIGHT

at Atlanta, 4 PST

(tape-delayed, Ch. 9, 5:30)

Site -- Philips Arena.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 2-1, Hawks 0-3.

Record vs. Hawks (2004-05) -- 1-1.

Update -- The Lakers turned in one of their worst efforts last season in Atlanta, where a 29-point second-quarter deficit preceded a 114-108 loss to the lowly Hawks. The Hawks made a big splash during the off-season by signing former Phoenix guard Joe Johnson, who is averaging 16.7 points and five assists. Coach Phil Jackson recently said the Lakers had digested only 25% of the triangle offense, but they are averaging 107.7 points in three games, tied for third in the league before Monday’s games.

-- Mike Bresnahan