"I want him to dig in and be determined, not discouraged," Bryant continued. "We should go to him more on the post because he can dominate from there as he has to the tune of two rings. I'm sure we will adjust and figure out a balance when he comes back healthy."

The Lakers announced Tuesday that Gasol would sit out the team's game against the Houston Rockets with tendinitis in his knees. There is no set timetable for how long Gasol will be out. Antawn Jamison will start in his place.

Bryant and Gasol had a lengthy summit Monday night at the team hotel in Houston.

"I know his knees have been hurting and that can be frustrating because you can't do physically what you are used to," Bryant said Tuesday. "I just don't want him to sulk about the change of things."

Gasol is averaging 12.6 points and shooting 42 percent from the floor, both career lows, in new Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni's offense. Both he and D'Antoni have acknowledged that his role is and will be quite different than what it has historically been for the Lakers.

ESPNLosAngeles.com reported earlier Tuesday that Gasol is not sitting out Tuesday's game because a trade involving the former four-time All-Star is in the works. But a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has recently spoken to Gasol's representatives to let them know that the team will have no choice but to explore possible trade scenarios if Gasol is unable to adjust to D'Antoni's system.

Tuesday's comments from Bryant echo similar statements he made last season in Gasol's defense. As trade speculation heated up around the talented 7-footer, Bryant publicly called on Lakers management to either trade him or pull Gasol out of all trade talks so that he could focus on basketball.

"I wish (Lakers) management would come out and either trade him or not trade him," Bryant said last February. "It's just tough for a player to give his all when you don't know if you're going to be here tomorrow. I'd rather them not trade him at all but if they're going to do something, I wish they would just ... do it.

"You can't have one of our pillars not knowing if he's going to be here or not. Do something. One way or another, do something."

Bryant felt the need to do so again Tuesday because of the way the Lakers' struggles this season seem to be falling inordinately, and somewhat unfairly, on Gasol.