OT: Is Odom REALLY going to leave LA?

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Rastapopoulos

Rastapopoulos

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2008
Messages
42,158
Likes
26,527
Points
113
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.
 
^ i think something about taxes mad the deals almost the same
 
Lakers can't win without Odom. Who is going to be their backup PF? Powell? Joe Smith?
 
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)
 
DaRizzle said:
Hes a 6th man for our team
Click to expand...

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.
 
I hope he goes to the Heat. He'd make them a Eastern Conference Finals team IMO.
 
KingSpeed said:
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.
Click to expand...
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
 
KingSpeed said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Last edited:
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.
 
hasoos said:
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.
Click to expand...

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:

2. And you can tell Rolling Stone magazine that my last words were ... "I'm on drugs!"

To the Lakers' fans. If you think your boys improved by swapping Trevor Ariza (a 24-year-old who came into his own this past spring, shot 45 percent from 3-point land, came through repeatedly in the clutch, turned into the NBA's single best defensive swingman and doesn't care about his numbers) for Ron Artest (an unreliable 29-year-old head case/attention hog who slipped noticeably as a perimeter defender these past two seasons and has a knack for taking terrible shots at the worst possible times), then absolutely, you're on drugs. I don't know what else to tell you. Your team is worse. I'm sorry. And that's before we get into the whole "Is Lamar Odom coming back?" and "Do you really want to commit to an aging Artest for FIVE years?" questions.
Click to expand...
 
hasoos said:
Folks continue to forget that Ron Artest is there.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Minstrel said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
hasoos said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Minstrel said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
hasoos said:
That is an opinon.
Click to expand...

Obviously. ;)

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.
Click to expand...

Yes and with Odom, you never have to worry about him screwing you over with "intensity." That was the big knock on Artest for his whole career.

The point is that his overall production is tremendous. I think his "lack of intensity" is overrated by the numerous pop psychologists that follow basketball. He plays, he performs and he plays very good defense. Hence, he's a very good player.

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.
Click to expand...

This micro analysis of his game doesn't translate into actual superior production. I do agree that he can "create shots" better than can Ariza. The problem is, he doesn't create high-quality shots. So while he can initiate his offense better, he ends up with a lower scoring efficiency. That might actually be okay for a team with no/few shot-creators...someone has to create a shot. That's not the case on LA. Kobe and Gasol (and Odom, if he returns) are far superior scorers, in terms of efficiency. Artest's lower efficiency shot-creation will take shots away from those superior options and hurt LA's offense. Ariza created less but scored more efficiently, which is a much better fit alongside Kobe/Gasol.

Ironically, I think Artest is a better fit for Houston than Ariza, since Houston has no shot creators with Yao and McGrady hurt. And, as I said, Ariza is a better fit for LA. One of those lose-lose swaps. ;)

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.
Click to expand...

It was even more recently that LA brought in JR Rider, and it was viewed much the same way. It worked out like shit. Might want to keep in mind all of history. Jackson is a good people person, but he doesn't fix everyone.
 
MAS RipCity said:
La doesn't even make the Finals without Odom
Click to expand...

I wouldnt necessarily agree with that. They made it without Bynum, so if like mentioned earlier, Bynum has a good season, then I think Artest>Ariza and a healthy consistent Bynum > Odom.
 
Minstrel said:
Obviously. ;)



Yes and with Odom, you never have to worry about him screwing you over with "intensity." That was the big knock on Artest for his whole career.

The point is that his overall production is tremendous. I think his "lack of intensity" is overrated by the numerous pop psychologists that follow basketball. He plays, he performs and he plays very good defense. Hence, he's a very good player.



This micro analysis of his game doesn't translate into actual superior production. I do agree that he can "create shots" better than can Ariza. The problem is, he doesn't create high-quality shots. So while he can initiate his offense better, he ends up with a lower scoring efficiency. That might actually be okay for a team with no/few shot-creators...someone has to create a shot. That's not the case on LA. Kobe and Gasol (and Odom, if he returns) are far superior scorers, in terms of efficiency. Artest's lower efficiency shot-creation will take shots away from those superior options and hurt LA's offense. Ariza created less but scored more efficiently, which is a much better fit alongside Kobe/Gasol.

Ironically, I think Artest is a better fit for Houston than Ariza, since Houston has no shot creators with Yao and McGrady hurt. And, as I said, Ariza is a better fit for LA. One of those lose-lose swaps. ;)



It was even more recently that LA brought in JR Rider, and it was viewed much the same way. It worked out like shit. Might want to keep in mind all of history. Jackson is a good people person, but he doesn't fix everyone.
Click to expand...

JR Rider was no where near the player that he was earlier in his career at that time. If you want to ride that horse, better get whippin it, because its your basketball rep on the line, not mine.
 
hasoos said:
JR Rider was no where near the player that he was earlier in his career at that time. If you want to ride that horse, better get whippin it, because its your basketball rep on the line, not mine.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not comparing Rider to anyone (even his old self) in terms of basketball ability. I'm saying that he was a difficult personality that Jackson couldn't tame. I'm simply pointing out that Jackson is not a magical cure-all for any tough attitude. He may succeed with Artest or he may not...he's had success (Rodman) and failure (Rider) in trying to "fix" oddballs.
 
BrianWheeler said:
I wouldnt necessarily agree with that. They made it without Bynum, so if like mentioned earlier, Bynum has a good season, then I think Artest>Ariza and a healthy consistent Bynum > Odom.
Click to expand...
Bynum is garbage. Yes, his hook is more fluid than Oden, but he seems like a soft twinkie when it comes to toughness and defense.
 
MAS RipCity said:
Bynum is garbage. Yes, his hook is more fluid than Oden, but he seems like a soft twinkie when it comes to toughness and defense.
Click to expand...

total trash, absolutely...yes hes shown more than Oden ever has so far but yes, absolute trash... :tsktsk:
 
I hope Odom stays with the Lakers . . . it will make knocking them out of the playoffs next year that much sweeter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top