Halftime Hype

Man, is it refreshing to see Lamar Odom have an influential playoff games -especially in the playoffs, but more so in the Western Conference Finals. Every time #7 has these kinds of performances, it gets me thinking about his maximum potential. But then he goes back to being the invisible but somewhat relevant player he usually is. In a crucial 32 minutes of play, the lanky 6th man scored the most meaningful 19 points of his career, and made sure his defensive presence was felt on each of his four blocks. If there was ever a time for Lamar Odom to step up, it was in Game 5. If there was ever an urge for agression, it was then. If there was ever a game that demanded extra hustle and intangibles, it was then.


Need to see more of this

If you think about it, LO's one of the league's most underrated warriors. Take a moment to think about all the adversity he's overcome in his life. Growing up in a ghetto in Queens, living under his mom (his dad was an alcoholic) until she died when Odom was 12. After receiving a scholarship to play at UNLV, a Sports Illustrated investigation into his grades completely messed up his college plans and forced him to study at Rhode Island U. Then he was taken care of by his grandmother, who died in 2000. In his first few years in the league, he had needed to eliminate his weed addiction or leave the NBA. In '06, when Lamar was chosen to play for Team USA and emotions riding high, everything special in his life seemingly disappeared with the death of his 6-month old son. Now, think of what he's achieved and how much more time he has left in career to really leave his mark.

If the Lake Show can balance their attack like this, maybe those TNT panelists will hush.

We saw bursts of the man's energy earlier in the year when Bynum went down and the Lakers successfully defeated some of the top teams. But when searching for his highlights on Youtube, there actually aren't many emphatic clips of Odom. Besides jawing with Jarret Jack, slapping KG in the butt, and finishing an eloquent lay-up off a nice pass, he doesn't really have his own clips. One of the big things we're still waiting to see from Odom, is his own style. He needs a certain type of jump shot, a special post-up maneuver, a tear-drop - just some trademark move he can turn to once he touches the ball. When he learns how to do this, there, indeed, may be no stopping those looooooooooooooong arms of his.

Another thing we're waiting to see from Lamar is consistency. Can he score more than 10 points - shooting a decent percentage, of course - over consecutive games. Can he block more than two shots each game for the rest of the playoffs? These are all questions that still need to be answered. Every blue moon he decides to give the performance of his career, before humbly setting it aside and resuming his duties as being Lamar. If only we saw him crashing the boards every singly night. If only we saw him knocking down 3-pointers casually ever game. If only he drove to the basket with a heart like no other every time somebody passed him the ball. If only, if only...

Most importantly, though, is Odom finding his niche. This season he took over the job of 6th man, but has proved that he can be very effective as a starter. While whining at the beginning of the season for being the 6th man, he's come around and realized it was for the best interest of the team. It's taken awhile, but this season has been the first full season where we've seen Lamar actually have a meaningful impact on the game. I'm not just saying this in spite of his performance last night - although, I must say, that did inspire me to write this post. Lakers fans may believe that lanky Lamar has basically shown up about once every ten games. However, if you think aboutthe versatility, endurance, and experience he brings to the game every night, we have to reconsider him. It's not every day that we can watch a 6'10" forward handle the ball, hang in there defensively, and shout at the top of the lungs after every highlight.

I'm not saying Odom is going to be a consistent double-double player. I'm declaring that the fact that his lean figure is out on the court has an unprecedented impact on the game - maybe even more so than that of a double-double player. It's time that the media gives this warrior the credit he deserves. And while the Lakers are evaluating every minute he plays right now in determining whether or not they should resign him, I just hope they keep in mind the significant play he can bring every day - whether he's dunking on a 7-footer or hollering for his teammates, he is the Lamar Odom.

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