Odom Sees His Role Down Low
Kobe Bryant expects to be sidelined for weeks, not days, meaning Lamar Odom will become a bigger part of the Laker offense -- with a few minor details to be worked out, such as whether he will handle the ball more often at the top of the key or get it in his comfort zone down low, preferably on the right side.
“Most likely I’ll be starting a little bit more close to the basket so I can try and put pressure on the defense with my scoring ability,” Odom said. “You probably will see me handle the ball a little bit less because I want to catch the ball more in scoring position.”
Bryant, who sustained a severely sprained ankle Thursday against Cleveland, had visions of Odom as more of a passer and ballhandler.
“He’s a great facilitator,” Bryant said. “I’d much rather him handle the ball and me be off the ball. This is a good situation for us as a team to get accustomed to him being the facilitator and handling the ball.”
Isn’t Bryant the facilitator?
“The misconception that they have is that people automatically assume that I play with the ball,” Bryant said. “I had to play with the ball because I was the facilitator of the team these past years. But I much prefer being off the ball. I like to score. I don’t like dribbling the ball that many times.”
It may not be known exactly where Odom will set up shop in tonight’s game at Golden State, but Bryant said he was impressed with Odom’s 24-point effort against Cleveland.
“I loved the way Lamar just stepped up,” Bryant said. “He has a lot of real leadership abilities. Now is the best time to bring that out onto the table. I think that’s going to make us a better team once I come back and I’m healthy.”
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Rookie guard Sasha Vujacic, selected No. 27 overall in the draft in June, will pick up some of the league-leading 42 minutes a game Bryant had been logging.
Vujacic had played only seven NBA games before Thursday, but he had six points in 26 minutes against Cleveland, making one of seven shots and talking about it afterward with Bryant in a conversation in Italian.
Vujacic, who will turn 21 in March, grew up in Slovenia before playing three seasons in Italy.
“You get an open shot, you knock it down,” Bryant told Vujacic. “You had three wide-open looks.” Vujacic’s response: “I know. I was a little nervous.”
Vujacic, who averaged 14.4 points and 2.3 assists last season for Snaidero Udine in Italy’s top pro league, said he looked forward to more playing time.
“I’m sorry my chance came like that and I hope [Bryant] will come back soon, but I’ve been waiting for a chance all season and I’m ready to play,” Vujacic said.
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Forward Devean George continues to recover slowly from off-season ankle surgery.
“Weeks, maybe,” Laker Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “But don’t hold me to that.... I’m not a medical guy.”
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The Lakers will donate $100,000 to the UNICEF relief fund benefiting victims of the tsunami in South Asia.
Last week, Bryant donated $27,000 to the fund, offering $1,000 for every point he scored against Houston. The Lakers matched that donation, raised another $7,075 through auctions at Staples Center, and ultimately decided to increase the total donation to $100,000.
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TONIGHT
at Golden State, 7:30, Channel 9
Site -- The Arena in Oakland.
Radio -- KLAC (570); KWKW (1330).
Records -- Lakers 19-15; Warriors 11-26.
Record vs. Warriors -- 1-0.
Update -- Shooting guard Jason Richardson, the Warriors’ leading scorer, has sat out the last seven games because of a sprained ankle. The Warriors are 0-8 in that span. Caron Butler had a season-high 27 points in the Lakers’ 97-88 win over the Warriors last month.
