http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~29583~2570342,00.html By Ross Siler, Staff Writer There wasn't enough time Wednesday for Lakers forward Brian Cook to take Kobe Bryant to his mother's house for dinner, as teammate Caron Butler did with a night off in Milwaukee on Monday. So Cook's relatives had to settle for the knowledge that the second-year forward, a Lincoln, Ill., native, has gained the on-court trust of perhaps the NBA's best player, if they couldn't meet him in person. Cook scored a career-high 25 points in the Lakers' 95-90 victory over the Bucks on Tuesday and Bryant assisted on three of the five 3-pointers Cook knocked down, including the go-ahead basket with 1 minute, 35 seconds left. Bryant also looked for Cook twice in the final minute of the Lakers' loss to Sacramento on Friday. With teams so eager to double-team Bryant, Cook has been left unguarded on the perimeter and has made teams pay, averaging 8.3 points per game. "He could shoot last year, too," Bryant said of Cook. "He just didn't have the rein to shoot it. He's worked on his game tremendously, though. He's worked on his jump shot a lot. And this year, he just came back firing." Only six Lakers returned from last season's Western Conference championship team, and Cook surprisingly has played the second-most minutes of that group, behind only Bryant. He played the least of the six in 2003-04. Cook entered Wednesday's game shooting 42.5 percent from the 3-point arc, and only three players in the league taller than the 6-foot-9 forward could boast a better percentage from long range -- Eddie Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki and Keith Van Horn. The next step in Cook's development, he said, will focus on becoming a more consistent player and getting stronger. He also wants to develop a back-to-the-basket game suitable for the low post. "I think that'll come just with time, getting stronger and getting more experience," Cook said. "I'm an open-minded guy so I just keep my mind open and try to learn as much as I can every day." Cook had about 30 family members and friends at Wednesday's game, including his high school coach. The former Illinois star also was trying to stay updated on the fifth-ranked Fighting Illini's victory over top-ranked Wake Forest. Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich was asked if Cook would be considered for the starting lineup. For now, the answer is no, with Cook too valuable as either a reserve forward or center. "I love having explosive players off the bench," Tomjanovich said. "It changes the game plan. And I think he fits with some of the guys who come off the bench. We need to have some scoring punch so I can take Kobe out." --

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