Defense is one aspect of basketball. Shane Battier is a better defender than LeBron James and D-Wade. It doesn't mean I would take him over either of those players. Chuck Hayes is a better defender than Gasol, but I guarantee you LA wouldn't trade Gasol for him. Gasol is a better player than anyone on the Cavs roster outside of LeBron. So is Odom. Nice meaningless rant about Odom. The fact is the Lakers got to the Finals with him playing a crucial role. The fact is he would start for most teams in this league. Odom can't shoot...that doesn't make him a scrub. There aren't too many 3rd options better than him in this league...and LA has the luxury of him being 3rd at the most...arguably 4th with Bynum back in the mix. Yeah, the one that avg 22 and 12 over 67 games. The one who avg 22 and 13 over all of the playoffs games (i.e. he didn't miss one), on 59% shooting. The one that won a title as a slowed down version alongside another stud guard two years later. None of those players can match the impact Shaq brings, not even in 2004. When you have two of the top 5 players in basketball on the same team, how strong do you think the rest of your supporting cast has to be? The fact is when y'all squared off against Duncan prior to Manu and TP blew up, it was always 2 studs and role players vs 1 stud and role players. Duncan has never faced y'all with a more talented team. No, they just happened to have a big man that was dominant on both sides of the court. It's not hard to create for him (just give him the ball and hit your open jumpers) or play great defense around him (defensive bigs make a huge impact). It's why Duncan > Kobe. Where is your article about Bynum whining? He has been basically doing the same thing. Odom is whining. Ok. Does this all of a sudden mean the team isn't stacked as to where they can afford to bring him off the bench....a dude who would start in a lot of other places?
