Hamblen Wants a ‘Selfish’ Odom

When Lamar Odom arrived last June as part of the Shaquille O’Neal trade, there were those who said he would fill the role of Scottie Pippen, while Kobe Bryant would be like Michael Jordan.

It hasn’t quite happened that way, with the Lakers fighting for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference and Odom still trying to find his way in the team’s pecking order.

Odom is averaging 15.6 points and a team-best 10.4 rebounds, but Laker coaches say he is one of the players who defers to Bryant too much, sometimes passing up his own shot or overlooking an open player to feed Bryant. Odom is averaging only 12.2 shots.

“We certainly like the fact that he can do so many things in so many places and get everybody shots,” Laker Coach Frank Hamblen said. “But I also want him to be a little more selfish.”

Odom had nine points on three-of-seven shooting Saturday in the Lakers’ 117-116 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He also had 11 rebounds and eight assists.

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Sasha Vujacic spent his 21st birthday in a familiar spot last Tuesday.

At the end of the bench.

The rookie guard, averaging 2.7 points in 9.6 minutes, has appeared in 23 games, and his playing time will only shrink over the next month as the Lakers go with more experienced players in their playoff pursuit.

Laker coaches like the potential of Vujacic, drafted No. 27 overall last year, but he needs to get stronger and work on his defense to get more time.

Vujacic, who averaged 14.4 points last season for Snaidero Udine of Italy’s top pro league, is faced with the problem of most late first-rounders. He wants to play, but he has to wait.

“I didn’t come here to sit on the bench,” he said. “But I don’t have nothing against nobody. I respect coach’s decision. Everywhere I’ve played, I was too young. You need to get through the first year and then it’ll be different. I haven’t had a chance to show what I can do. I hope it comes sooner or later.”

Hamblen said it would probably be later.

“It’s all ahead of him,” Hamblen said. “Down the road he’s going to be a real fine player. He’s going to be able to handle the ball, deliver the ball, make plays.”

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A check of the schedule over the next two weeks shows favorable territory for the Denver Nuggets in the three-team race for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets have seven consecutive home games. The Lakers are on the road for six of their next seven games, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ next five games are against teams that would qualify for the playoffs if they began today.