COMMENTARY | The 2011-2012 NBA season has been a forgetful one, to say the least, when it comes to former Los Angeles Lakers Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom.
After an offseason marred by personal tragedy, he found himself traded before the start of the season only to see the trade rescinded. Hurt feelings and a damaged relationship caused him to be dealt to the defending champion Dallas Mavericks for a second-round pick. Odom had his worst season as a professional and capped it off by being told by the team that the best way to help them was to go away.
One team's trash could be another one's treasure, though, and the Lakers need a player like Odom back, period.
That team will have to wait until at least next year when he is a free agent, and it may as well be the Los Angeles Lakers.
This entire argument that the Lakers would be a good fit depends on Odom somehow getting his mental game in order and becoming something close to what he was in his heyday just a short time ago.
Keep in mind, Odom' best years were with the Lakers. He wasn't quite an All-Star in his second stint in Los Angeles after beginning his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he should've been. He was an integral part of each of the Lakers' last two titles in 2009 and 2010 and showed everyone around the league why he was known as one of its most skilled, all-around players. Perhaps the memories of just how special the time spent in the purple and gold was could reignite some positive memories.
In fact, the whole premise of this very argument depends on him becoming something even remotely close to what he once was -- a solid, standout NBA player with a unique set of athletic gifts.
It's also no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers have a bench that needs help, averaging only 20.3 points per game. The lack of productivity from the substitutes has been one of the most glaring team weaknesses all season long. The loss of Odom is easy to point out as a contributing factor in the struggles of the second unit, and getting him back would be one step toward fixing what has simply become a flat out mess.
Odom's length on defense bothers shooters from any range. With the length of the Lakers already being a team advantage, adding Odom would make them nearly impossible to match up with if the current frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum stays intact. Rarely has there been a player as long as Odom, who can play any position on the floor, with such a versatile skill set. He gives his coaches great flexibility with the lineup because of his diverse game.
The chemistry of the team is an important factor when considering bringing back a player like Lamar Odom. His former Lakers teammates clearly loved his presence both in the locker room and on the court. The bottom line is, there is no better fit for Odom than the Lakers. Now comes the waiting game to see if he will actually play in the NBA once again, let alone Los Angeles.
Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and southern California native, following the Los Angeles Lakers since childhood. Follow Michael on Twitter: @MikeJonesTweets
Source:
Hoopsstats.com
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
No comments:
Post a Comment