Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom’s game is as volatile as the New York Stock Market. Sometimes it is way up, and sometimes it is way down.

When the Los Angeles Lakers season tipped off, the Odom Meter was running low as all eyes were on Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The casual fan and longtime basketball experts were curious to know whether the two 7-footers can co-exist when paired in the post in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. That meant Odom was relegated to the bench, a move he openly accepted but with some reluctance. Trade rumors started flying around Staples Center.

Continue reading "LAKERS' ODOM-ETER IS WAY UP"

Hey, maybe Kobe reads my blog. Lol. Yeah right. Whatever has happened since Nov. 21 when I wrote that the Lakers (in jest mind you) should trade #24, well, he’s started to play much better. He&r

Continue reading "Now That's More Like it..."

Well, so much for that supposed "test" last night. The Lakers steamrolled the Houston Rockets in the second half holding them to a measely  34 points. 82 for the game and 37.8 percent s

Continue reading "Defensive Force--Kobe for DPY?"

I'm back. lol. Got a new blogsite that will be up and running by the start of the season. This site will still get Lakers updates, but it will be strictly Lakers. For all things Westcoast in the NBA, check out www.westcoastlsant.blogspot.com next week. And check the links too. Okay, on to the meat. 

Continue reading "Lakers Notes on Preseason game against Toronto"

I’m scrapping the grades for now. It’s a used up idea and too many other blogs do the same thing. Plus, it’s really too subjective for my tastes. So, moving forward, there is talk of perhaps trading Odom for Ron Artest and the deadweight contract of Kenny Thomas. While one cannot rule out a bounce-back effort from Thomas, at 6-7 he’s undersized at the 4 and would seal the fate of Turiaf going elsewhere.

Continue reading "No Thanks Artest"

Suddenly Lamar Odom’s name is being floated in all sorts of trade rumors. Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, the Lakers two main free agents (restricted) who, before the finals looked like for sure they would be resigned, suddenly left Thursday’s exit meetings unsure of their futures with the organization.

Continue reading "Don't hit the Panic Button"

They play their best when Lamar Odom is getting that second pass for easy layups and dunks. The Lakers O slows to a grinding halt, however, in the fourth quarter when it’s “Kobe time.” He tries to ISO and get shots for himself, but the Celtics team defense is too good to give him even hard shots.

Continue reading "It’s “Show” Time"

That he isn’t moving the ball. That he’s taking too many bad shots. They say that Lamar Odom is struggling through nerves and that Pau Gasol is playing soft.

On the flip, Celtics fans, after last night’s horrific game, will tell you that all the Cs need is for KG and Pierce and Allen to play well all at the same time. That KG ain’t going to shoot a woeful 6 for 21 or that PP isn’t going to build a house out of bricks every night.

Continue reading "Good or Not?"

But Pau Gasol? Lamar Odom? Those guys were getting hammered, absolutely hammered with the body, slapped on the forearms, elbowed and such and got one freethrow between them. On the flipside, Odom had 5 fouls. KG? 1.

Continue reading "No Complaining…Just the FACTS."

MJ-esque (in my opinion, more skilled) player in Kobe, the rest of their squad is full of athletes. Lamar Odom is Magic-esque in his athleticism, probably more so. He’s long and tall and can handle the ball and board. Pau is a 7-foot finesse player who can run the floor and pass. Ariza is perhaps the most athletic guy on the team. Farmar’s a speed demon. Even Vujacic is more athletic than say, Danny Ainge ever was.

Continue reading "85-86 Celtics? 08 Lakers Win IMO..."

oting a putrid 2-11 from the field, hitting only 3-8 freethrows, and turning over the ball 5 times, Lamar Odom beat the media to the punch.

"I put this one on myself," Odom said. "I take the blame, totally, for this game."

Continue reading "The Freebies That WERE Shot"

The Lakers put another impressive, yet still somehow shaky victory over the Utah Jazz into the books and now sit on a cool 6-0 record in the 2007-08 playoffs. Not much to write about in their victory, because, well, they’re cruising but with rabid intensity. 

Continue reading "Some Random Lakers Thoughts"

y Turiaf out with a sore throat, MBenga came in and played 7 crucial minutes while the foul-plagued Lamar Odom sat out. DJ grabbed 5 boards, had a steal and handed out 3 fouls. The box score doesn’t say much, but he was energetic, brought toughness, got underneath and banged with Camby and Martin, and did about as much as one could possibly do to impress in 7 minutes of work.  

Continue reading "What’s Next? The Lakers "Others""

Pow!

Everybody’s talking about Pau’s monster game. ESPN’s JA Adande is reminding folks about the legacy of Lakers’ big men. A 36-point, 16-rebound, 8-assist, 3-block game will get people to notice. Kobe dropped 32 but shot a putrid 9-26. After the game, #24 talked about how he was the decoy and how the Lakers have a vicious 1-2 punch.

Continue reading "Pow! Kobe's Dilemma"

I watched Lamar Odom’s flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Roy last night live, on KCAL 9, the Lakers home station. In real time, the foul looks bad because of how Roy fell, on his back and hip.

Continue reading "Blazer’s Announcer Out of Line"

This is great news. Also great news is the recent play of Lamar Odom. As discussed last week in this blog, Odom has finally started to play with a fire and confidence that has been sorely lacking from his all-around game. He’s shooting 86 percent in his last two games. He’s found a great rhythm playing with both Kobe and especially Gasol and has become deadly efficient.

Continue reading "Bringing Bynum Off the Bench"

Imagine if he plays like this the rest of the way. The Lakers won’t need Andrew Bynum back. Lamar Odom put together a doozy of a game, against a Mavericks club that was shooting the lights out despite pretty solid defense by the Purple and Gold. Odom made 12-14 shots, totaling 31 points. Pulled down ten boards, dished 5 assists, blocked 2 shots and threw in a steal to cap off his night. Plus he made two of the best plays of the game with a fake pass, layup that made Dirk look foolish, followed by a quick scoop pass to Pau for an and-one. Not only was his offense up to snuff, despite giving up 27 points to Dirk, Lamar made the key stop on the Big German with a about 30 seconds left. He played perfect defense. I mean, Diggler still shot a scorching 13-19, but Odom was in his grill on most of them. Dirk was just hot. I knew Lamar was feeling it. In the past, he would always look to Kobe to set the tone, or to make sure he was running the right plays. Tonight, he took the ball himself, juked, spun, shimmied, dropped dimes, battled for loose balls, dove to the basket for putbacks (he dunked Kobe’s missed layup at the end of the game when Kobe got fouled) and ice-manned the ball in the hoop all night. It was beautiful and extremely exciting to watch. Odom, for the first time I’ve ever seen him play, looked like he wanted the ball in his hands at the end of the game.

Continue reading "What We’ve Been Waiting For…"

17 and 16 with 2 assists, 0 turnovers. That’s the kind of game we drool over when it comes to Lamar. He’s shown so much promise in so many different stretches (2006 playoffs and the 2003-04 season), and yet, at 28, he has yet to live up to that potential.

Continue reading "The Lowdown on LO"