Odom Confident Slump Won’t Last

Lamar Odom has experienced Olympic dreams gone sour and a blockbuster trade that yanked him out of a comfort zone in Miami.

In the wake of such a summer, a preseason shooting slump isn’t overly concerning to him.

Odom, the designated No. 2 option after Kobe Bryant, has made 18 of 61 shots (29.5%) and averaged 8.3 points in seven exhibition games.

With the Clippers, he often brought the ball upcourt and drove to the basket at will. With the Miami Heat, he got the ball in the low post and created from there.

With the Lakers, he has yet to find a comfort zone. It is only exhibition season, but Odom realizes there is work to be done, a rhythm to be found, an outside shot to be corrected before the regular season begins Tuesday against Denver.

“I have to improve my efficiency,” Odom said. “Playing with Kobe Bryant, I’m going to be open a lot, up at the top of the key, the three-point line. I’m all right. I’ll get my second wind.”

Odom, 24, was one of the few U.S. players who did well at the Olympics. He gained national headlines when he led the U.S. to victory over Greece after suffering from an intestinal virus that caused dehydration and severe stomach pains.

A month before that, he was sent from Miami, where he experienced a breakthrough season, to the Lakers in the Shaquille O’Neal trade.

“With the summer he’s had, it’s been a very eventful several months for him,” Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “I see where he’s probably trying too hard. I’ve talked to him a little bit. It was a big trade, especially after a very emotional, positive year in Miami. His emotions have to be on a roller coaster. I think the guy’s handling everything well.”

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Point guard Tierre Brown, a slightly taller version of Tyronn Lue, appears to have an edge over undrafted rookie guard Tony Bobbitt for the final roster spot.

Brown, who has played 58 games with three teams in a three-year NBA career, has averaged 9.8 points in the exhibition season and has adapted well to Tomjanovich’s up-tempo vision.

“He gets the ball and advances it up the court,” Tomjanovich said. “When you get somebody like that coming off the bench, it gives you a big boost.”

If Brown makes the team, he will not receive a guaranteed contract because the Lakers need flexibility in case Karl Malone decides to come back after he recovers from off-season knee surgery.

The Lakers will trim their roster from 18 players to 15 by Monday afternoon.

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In an NBA.com survey of the league’s 30 general managers, 81% said they would want Bryant to be the player to take a shot with a game on the line. All 30 general managers thought Bryant was the best shooting guard in the league.

San Antonio was the most popular choice to win the NBA Finals, receiving 45% of the vote. No general managers picked the Lakers to win the title. The Spurs (71%) and Minnesota (29%) were the only teams to receive votes to win the Western Conference.

O’Neal was the majority choice to win league most-valuable-player honors, taking 57% of the vote. Tim Duncan (19%), Kevin Garnett (14%) and Bryant (10%) also received support.