I'm with you. The last couple of years I said the Lakers need to figure a way to make Odom and Kobe work. But it never will. The Lakers should have dumped him a couple of summers ago. Now, the jig is up and everyone knows Odom's potential isn't all that high.
you're gonna have to do better than that. Battier barely make more than the MLE (5.8M) Head, Bonzi, Snyder AND Landry only make about 7M total Odom makes 13.8M salary cap people..... http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Salary_Cap_101-147720-41.html ignore the blazers part of the link...its a nice little primer on the NBA salary cap. trades have to be fair in more ways than just talent.
Odom is a free agent in '09, according to Patricia Bender. The length of his contract isn't as long as I was thinking. One more year after this season. The Lakers really may move him. Jackson just signed an extension, Bryant is still being a prima donna, but probably not going anywhere, and Odom hasn't worked out like the Lakers thought he would. I think he could flourish with McGrady and Yao, who would take a lot of pressure off of the guy, but his health is a concern. Motivated and healthy, Odom could really be an impact player for the Rocks.
I think he's a mental softy with a low basketball IQ who is the exact opposite type of player we need with Tracy and Yao. The last 2-3 years, Odom leads the NBA in the number of plays that make you say, "What in the WORLD was he thinking?" Odom is skilled but he is a very dumb basketball player.
Has he EVER looked like he was mentally "in the game?" We all know there are guys who are not focused or not really motivated on the court but Odom seems to take that to the next level.
He sure did, but there's a reason a Lakers fan started this thread. Watch a few more Lakers games and you'll see what I mean. Over the last 3 seasons, LO has been justifiably vilified by Lakers fans more than any of their other players. (They gave up on Kwame a long time ago). LO will have games like this and then completely disappear 2-3 games in a row. His game average stats look fine, but he makes bad decisions at the worst times. There isn't a more indecisive yoyo in the NBA. As long as he remains a key player on that team, they will never achieve anything. (I don't blame him for all of their problems).
Yup, I completely agree, I live out in LA LA land so I never hear the end of it from these (rather annoying) Faker fans.
What exactly has Battier done to be considered a "winner"? I'm a fan of Battier's, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't call the guy a winner. He has never been out of the first round, and the only real "winning" he has ever done was at a Duke team that always wins....with or without him. Honestly, if the Lakers would take a package of Alston, Head, and Bonzi for Odom, I am all for it. I think he's kind of packed it in with the Lakers....a new environment might be all he needs to rejuvenate his career. He's definitely got the talent to contribute to a winning team.
