| 12 November 2008
Recently there have been a lot of suggestions that the LA Lakers should trade Lamar Odom. The reasoning behind it is wide and varied, depending on which bit of ridiculousness is being pushed at that particular time.
"The Lakers should trade Odom while he still has value." "Odom can't be happy with starting on the bench, especially in a contract year." "Odom's level of play has declined, that's why the Lakers start him on the bench."
Quite simply, with the roster LA has assembled, there's no way they should trade Lamar Odom. Whilst they're doing well, the Lakers would be incredibly foolish to do anything that might mess with the team as it's currently configured. Explore the notions one by one...
1 - "The Lakers should trade Odom while he still has value."
Why? He is in the last year of his contract. Even if LA decides that they and Odom are headed in different directions, that's a substantial slice to come off the books at the end of this season to create space to sign someone that will fit in with the direction that LA envisage. $14,148,596 in space to be exact.
2 - "Odom can't be happy with starting on the bench, especially in a contract year."
Perhaps the most viable of the theories being flung around. Still, it begs the question: so?
Whilst it's altogether possible that Lamar Odom isn't happy with the line-up as it stands, it would make it even worse for him to react negatively.
It doesn't ring true of what we know of Lamar Odom anyway. Ever since he's arrived at LA, he's been team-first. And nothing that we've seen thus far this season would indicate that there's any truth in it. Still - unrest will only come when the team's not doing as well as it is now.
Again... so what?
Even if this postulation had some truth in it - what are his options? Whine and moan about playing at 6th, or become a vital member in a team that's currently the best in the West? If Lamar Odom can add a championship to his resume whilst playing as a substitute for the betterment of the team, it won't hurt his value much at all. And whilst it's very early days yet, it's not too great a stretch of the imagination to envisage Lamar Odom as being a candidate for 6th Man of the Year. If that were to happen, his value might even increase.
3 - "Odom's level of play has declined, that's why the Lakers start him on the bench."
The most inane of the barrows being pushed in regards to Lamar Odom. Odom hasn't declined, and far too many people hold what he did in the last NBA Finals as an indication of 'who he is'. They conveniently forget the play of Odom that helped LA actually get to the Finals. Anyone who's been watching the Lakers, anyone who knows who Lamar Odom is realises that whilst he's starting at 6th, he is clearly one of the best 5 players on the roster (hell, he's one of the best 3 at the moment).
Phil Jackson starting him at 6th has nothing to do with his play... or rather, it's a testament to his play that the zen-master is using him in this way. Odom is being used much the same role that Gregg Popovich uses Manu Ginobli, or that Leandro Barbosa plays in Phoenix. Odom is the guy that comes off the bench and is better than anything the opposition's bench has to offer. It's not that LA have to start Odom on the bench, it's that they have the luxury to do so.
If the Lakers travel that rocky path back to the NBA Finals this season, Kobe will lead them there. But make no mistake, Lamar Odom will have shouldered a very large part of the load.
