Western Conference executive opines on Lamar Odom remaining with the Lakers
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Granting candor in exchange for anonymity, one Western Conference executive shared the significance of Lamar Odom agreeing to remain with the Lakers.
On Odom staying with the Lakers: “Neither the Lakers nor Lamar Odom had any choice in this matter. Lamar Odom was not going to leave millions on the table to move to Miami. Los Angeles wasn’t going to allow one of their key pieces to walk away this summer when the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic made moves to get better this summer. The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t allow themselves to get worse, which would happen if they lost Lamar Odom and his versatility.”
What would’ve happened had Odom not agreed to return to the Lakers: “They’d no longer be the favorite to win the NBA title and the Western Conference championship. The Spurs would. Kobe Bryant can sprain an ankle and be out for the year. But they’d be a playoff team in the West with [Pau] Gasol, [Andrew] Bynum, [Ron] Artest and Odom. Without Lamar Odom, the Lakers would be one Kobe Bryant sprained ankle away from being a bottom-seeded team and not making the playoffs.”
On Odom’s versatility: “In the way they play, it’s a match-up nightmare. He can post small, take bigs off the dribble, rebounds like five a game and pushes the ball in transition. He’s a unique player coming off the bench in this league.”
On whether Odom’s presence will help Artest, given their relationship: “I think having someone close to him [Artest] will help indoctrinate him in the culture and shorten the learning curve. If the Lakers have the impression Artest will follow other than what he chooses to do, they’re mistaken. They have great leadership in other places, but Ron is Ron. As long as they allow Ron to be Ron, they’ll be fine. The minute they try to put him in a vacuum, it’ll be over. Having someone like Lamar will help shorten the learning curve on how to handle things. It will avoid certain land mines, but other ones will pop up.”
-- Mark Medina