"It's like, when I took this job, Frank Layden had just left, and that was a very difficult guy to try to replace because of his (outgoing personality). I had to be who I am, and Frank was who he was. These guys have got to be who they are, and John and Karl and all those guys were who they were. So I can't get involved in that. I don't like to even talk about it because I don't think it's a fair assessment."

Sloan also doesn't want to assess where the Jazz are right now, a couple games from the Western Conference lead, shared Wednesday by the Lakers and Houston Rockets, whose own 22-game win streak (in any building) was stopped Tuesday night by Boston.

"We aren't anywhere right now," said Sloan. "We're still in the playoffs, and that's our bottom line is try to make the playoffs. All the other stuff doesn't matter. I'm only interested in how we do and how we get this team to the playoffs."

Sloan was effusive about Bryant, even starting to compare him to that great Jazz villain Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, who almost single-handedly kept Stockton and Malone from winning championship rings in 1997 and '98.

"He's a defender," said Sloan, who likely rates that as his highest praise. "I love the way he gets up and guards people. I love the way he plays. ... To me, he's a lot like Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was a great offensive player, made big shots, did all those things."

Sloan said a favorite memory of the high-scoring Jordan was watching him take over defensively in the World Games years ago. "He took it on himself just to be a defensive player, and I think Kobe has some of those attributes."

Sloan also praises Bryant's willingness to share the ball this season.

"I think he's realized at this time in his career he's got players that are going to help him," Sloan said. "He doesn't have to do as much. He's relinquished a lot of his own personal beliefs to complement his team, and once players do that, they're really, really difficult to play against.

"We've never had an answer for Kobe Bryant as long as I've played against him."

Second-year man Brewer, who turns 23 today, will likely match up with Bryant as a birthday present, at least to start the game.

"You've got to get to him early, make him take tough shots," he said, noting that Houston's Shane Battier somewhat successfully played Bryant physically. Bryant was 11-for-33 for 24 points in a 104-92 loss at Houston Sunday.

"Getting a hand in his face every shot, trying to deny him the ball sometimes and make other guys beat you," Brewer said of Battier's work. "He's going to get the shots up, get the points, but you've got to challenge him, make him earn it on every play."

The Jazz say the Lakers are a different team without Gasol, but they can cope.

"I think it helps out (Utah) a little bit, but they're still a good team," Brewer said of a Gasol-less L.A.