Will Lamar Odom and Consistency Ever Be Used in the Same Sentence?

Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom is one of the key players on the team who will be competing for the United States in the FIBA World Championship, and hopefully his experience there can carry over to the 2010-11 NBA season.

Team USA is counting on Odom for his versatility and experience, and if he responds well in a leadership position, maybe it can help him find a level of consistency for the Lakers.

Los Angeles will be a strong favorite to win their third consecutive NBA title if Odom can duplicate his performance from last season, but imagine how good the Lakers could be if he could actually sustain his play.

Odom has averaged 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists throughout the course of his career, but every time he takes the court, you get the feeling that he is capable of so much more.

Odom's chronic inconsistency is by no means a secret, but Lakers fans who are exasperated with his uneven play still recognize how much he means to the team's postseason hopes.

The fact that Odom is surrounded by talent in players like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol means the Lakers are able to weather Odom's periods of lackluster play without losing much in the process.

And when Odom is playing up to his potential, he is capable of being the most dominant player on the floor, because he can impact the game in a variety of ways.

Odom's 6'10" frame and perimeter-based skills make him a nightmare matchup for most teams in the league, but he is equally capable of controlling a game in the paint with his defense and rebounding.

Odom has good enough ball-handling skills to run the Lakers' fast break, and he has excellent passing skills in the open court, and in the triangle offense.

The beauty of Odom's game is that there are few things he is incapable of doing on the basketball court, but the irony is found in his sometimes nonchalant approach to the game.

Sometimes it seems Odom confounds his teammates as much as he does fans of the team, and not even Lakers coach Phil Jackson has a clear idea of what really motivates him.

Maybe it's the verbal jabs Odom received from Amar'e Stoudemire during last season's Western Conference Finals, or maybe the icy glares he receives from Bryant whenever he makes one of his patented clueless mistakes.

Hopefully Odom can find whatever it is that motivates him and bottle it, because the Lakers do not need him to be dominant in order to to be successful in the postseason, but they do need him to be steady.

Actually, if Odom can find a level of consistency, it could serve the same purpose, because Odom's ability to impact the game from various angles gives the Lakers an advantage no team can match.

At least the Lakers can count on Odom's experience if consistency continues to elude him, and considering he has made pivotal plays in the postseason, it's not a horrible alternative.

Lakers fans would love to see Odom give balanced effort on a nightly basis, but they have learned to accept his flaws in anticipation of the potential he brings.