Odom Disappoints Clippers

With the Clippers mired in a five-game losing streak, reawakening visions of miserable Clipper clubs of the past, it was time for the team leader to step up.

Instead, Lamar Odom stepped out, for a night in Las Vegas at the request of the NBA, and failed to show up for practice Tuesday at L.A. Southwest College.

Odom, who called trainer Jasen Powell on Tuesday morning to say he was going to be delayed, is expected to be fined (the team limit for this infraction is $2,500), and may not start tonight’s game against the Seattle SuperSonics at Staples Center.

“If [Odom] is going to be the leader of this team, then he has to accept certain responsibilities,” said Coach Alvin Gentry, obviously upset. “If not, we are going to have to look elsewhere for leadership.

“Am I disappointed? I am really disappointed. This is inexcusable. It doesn’t matter if he has two broken legs and two broken arms, this is his job. He’s supposed to be here. Being a professional means having responsibility. It’s just like working at IBM or Xerox or anywhere else. You can’t have unexcused absences.”

Odom and guard Keyon Dooling were asked by the NBA to take part in a trade show in Las Vegas on Monday. They participated in the team’s conditioning drills Monday, then departed. Dooling made it back in time for Tuesday’s practice.

Was Odom given permission to go to Las Vegas?

“He’s an adult,” Gentry said. “I can’t tell him what to do with his time off.”

Odom, the 21-year-old, second-year forward, has been making the most of his time on the court. He leads the team in scoring with a 17.2-point average, and rebounds with 7.9, and is second to Jeff McInnis in assists with 4.7 a game. Odom has been particularly hot lately, having scored 20 or more points in 11 of his last 18 games.

So why was he a no-show?

“You tell me,” said Gentry, who had yet to hear from Odom by the close of Tuesday’s practice. “All I know is that he’s not here to work with the guys in practice. That’s the bottom line. The reason he is not here is not important.”

This is the second time this season Odom has gone astray. Earlier, he missed a team flight, resulting in a fine and a one-game loss of his status as a starter.