I would still be amazed if Odom didn't re-sign with the Lakers. He wants to be in LA. He's made it (stupidly) clear that he does. LA can offer him the most. All of this stuff with Miami just looks like posturing for a better deal from LA. But... I'm starting to get the impression that LA's sleazeball owner ("Dr." (yes, he has a Ph.D, but so do most of the people I work with and they don't get everyone to call them that) Jerry Buss) doesn't want to shell out the cash. Despite the fact that the Lakers would still be wildly profitable, and without Odom they're a longshot to repeat (despite what Las Vegas says). Latest is that they're offering him less than they previously offered him. That's just an insult. Here's hoping.
yeah no odom = no repeat. I really hope he goes to heat, he would make an excellent fantasy player =)
What's the current breakdown on the two team's current offers? As far as I recall Miami only has the mid-level exception to offer him.
Odom says no to the first offer, by doing so he risked it not being around in the future. He dicked around with the Heat knowing fully well he really wanted to come back to the Lakers and the Heat couldnt come close to the Lakers offer and situation. Buss as he should felt insulted knowing it was all just a ploy on his wallet. Now Odom comes crawling back after Buss called his bluff...he deserves less than the previous offer! Hes a 6th man for our team and he was gonna get 9mil a year!!! Good job Dr. Buss, you called his bluff and now you reap the winnings of getting him for cheaper. (knock on wood)
Odom was the third best player on the Lakers last season. A very crucial player that gave them versatility in their frontcourt. And when Bynum went down, they were able to win with Odom moving to the PF and Gasol to the C. Without Odom, the Lakers are fucked. And with Odom, the Heat will be a damn good team that will be close to contender status.
yes [/QUOTE] Without Odom, the Lakers are fucked. [/QUOTE] no [/QUOTE] And with Odom, the Heat will be a damn good team that will be close to contender status.[/QUOTE] no way ...he still came off the bench for the most part so yeah....6th man
Odom has had knee problems and other injuries which is why he needs to get backup minutes, in order to stay fresh. He can't carry the load as much anymore as a full time starter. If Bynum is healthy next year LA will be fine, they won already without him doing much.
Folks continue to forget that Ron Artest is there. If Bynum comes back Pau will play PF if they are both in the starting lineup. Where it will hurt is their depth in the 2nd unit. They will have to find some more offensive production there.
No they do not forget that. People continue to forget that Pau's rise to all-NBA'er from falling star in Memphis has come since he moved to Center. He's good at center. There are so few good offensive centers that his not-spectacular foot speed and post defense is not an issue. While he's still a very good PF, he is less useful at that position. The re-shuffle that would be caused by an Odom exit would only please Bynum. And the Lakers have made it to the finals twice essentially without Bynum. Oh, and regarding Artest - for once I agree with Bill Simmons:
No, that's why we don't say Ariza needs to be replaced. Because Artest is there. If they lose Odom, they have nothing to replace him. However, a big and healthy season from Bynum could make up the slack.
Odom played 2 positions though, you seem to forget that. He took up some of the minutes at SF. Most at PF. Even when he played PF, he did not play like a PF, he played outside in. And to the person who dismissed Gasol playing PF up above, you are wrong. Gasol is a very versatile player and can play PF just fine.
While he can play two positions, he played almost exclusively at power forward for LA. But, regardless, how is that relevant to what I said? Artest's production and defense will essentially replace Ariza's production and defense. Artest is the bigger name but, at this point in their respective careers, the difference in their ability is not significant. Artest isn't as good as Odom, so there's no way he replaces just Odom, let alone both Odom and Ariza. Artest is an okay Ariza replacement (though, were I LA, I'd prefer Ariza due to his taking fewer bad shot attempts). But that still leaves Odom as a pure loss, if they don't re-sign him.
That is an opinon. I don't think Odom is as good as Artest. With Artest you never have to worry about that thing called "Intensity". The was the big knock on Odom for his whole career, even rolling into the finals. Artest production will be superior to Arizas, at both ends of the floor. He is a better scorer than Ariza could wish to be. He has post up, he has face up, he can shoot from the outside. Trevor Ariza could only score on outside shots and setups going to the hoop. Ariza could never create his own shot, and if he did, it was rarely. Ariza does not have the level of physicality that Artest does. And for that matter, neither does Odom. And if I was Lamar Odom, with the amount of shit he took in LA over the last few years, always being the scapegoat, and having an opportunity to head back to Miami and party, I would leave in a second. He has a ring. It doesn't matter anymore. It wasn't that long ago that Phil Jackson brought in Dennis Rodman to the Bulls, and it was viewed much the same way. It worked out like magic. Learn from history. It repeats itself.
