Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Reasons Lamar Odom's Time in LA Is Nearing Its End
The Los Angeles Lakers' marriage to Lamar Odom may be coming to an end.
Just like Lamar's marriage to reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, there has been lots of drama surrounding the Lakers and Odom since LA got swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Playoffs.
Most of the buzz came before the NBA draft, when Odom was rumored to be a part of three different deals.
One trade was a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 2 pick in the draft. Unsurprisingly, the Wolves rejected the deal.
The second trade involved Odom and Shannon Brown going to the Golden State Warriors for Monta Ellis.
The third, involving Odom and Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers, was hot news but eventually faded away after Philly was unable to work out the contract problems the deal created.
The fact of the matter is the Lakers tried to move Odom to try to get younger and more athletic. The key pieces they were looking for—Derrick Williams, Ellis and Iguodala— are all remarkably athletic and significantly younger than the 31-year-old Lakers forward.
Here are five reasons why the Lakers will, and should, move the talented Lamar Odom.
5. Lamar Odom's Value Is Sky High Right Now
1 of 5The Los Angeles Lakers should trade Lamar Odom as soon as they possibly can.
His value is as high as it's going to get, and after winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Odom is in high demand. The fact that he is 6'10" and has the handle of a point guard should be more than enough to get teams interested, but his play this year went beyond that.
He dropped 14.4 PPG on 53 percent shooting, his best numbers since the 2007-2008 season. Also, Odom's three-point percentage was the highest of his career. Pretty impressive for a 31-year-old who comes off the bench.
Almost every team in the NBA right now is scrambling for big men. Odom is certainly considered a big man, and he has tons of playoff experience, unlike many of the other potential signings (Samuel Dalembert?).
The Lakers know this and are going to try and deal him as soon as this lockout gets lifted.
4. Derek Fisher Is Not a Serviceable Starting Point Guard
2 of 5I chose this picture for a reason. Derek Fisher vs. Chris Paul is a totally one-sided matchup, and it isn't only because Paul is so ridiculously talented.
Fisher can't keep up with players like CP3.
Make no mistake, there are a lot of point guards in the NBA who are athletically similar to the super-quick Paul. Russell Westbrook is one. Ty Lawson is one of the fastest players in the game. J.J. Barea made Fisher look like a senior citizen in the playoffs.
And those are just the point guards in the Western Conference.
The fact is, Fisher isn't meant to be an NBA starter anymore. Most starting point guards average twice as many assists as Fisher's 2.7 APG, and they don't have players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to pass it to.
Odom would be great trade bait for teams looking to deal their point guards. Chris Paul, anyone?
3. If Odom Is Traded, There Are Plenty of Options in the Free-Agent Market
3 of 5Let's say the Los Angeles Lakers trade Lamar Odom for a point guard like Chris Paul. How would they replace Odom?
It is an extremely prevalent question amongst Lakers fans who question the team's ability to trade their big man. And it is a really reasonable question as well.
The Lakers have Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum down low, sure, but if you trade Odom, your next forward off the bench is going to be someone like Derrick Caracter. Not exactly ideal, to say the least.
Luckily for the Lakers, there are plenty of perfectly capable backup forwards/centers in the 2011 free-agent class.
Players that come to mind?
Jason Collins
The "Kryptonite" to Dwight Howard's "Superman," would add a much needed injection of toughness into the Lakers frontcourt.
With all the flak Lamar Odom takes for being afraid of contact, Collins would be a perfect replacement. I guarantee you he will not shy away from contact any time soon.
Jared Jeffries
Jeffries could be a nice defensive addition as well. Despite having no offensive game whatsoever, Jeffries has made himself valuable with his freakish length and aggressiveness.
Chuck Hayes
Hayes is another defensive minded hustle-player and would definitely be welcomed in LA. His free throws, which are so bad that it's funny, would be applauded by the Hollywood crowd seeking entertainment.
On a more serious note, this dude is a beast. His toughness and defense would be awesome for the Lakers.
*Please note these trades are assuming the Lakers deal Odom for a scorer.*
2. If It Didn't Work Last Year for LA, Why Will It Change This Year?
4 of 5The Los Angeles Lakers didn't just get swept by the Dallas Mavericks They got destroyed, both mentally and physically, in every single aspect of the game.
What change has been made to think that won't happen again?
LA still has Derek Fisher as their starting point guard. Kobe is still the "alpha dog." Gasol is still a wimp.
Nothing's changed.
Let's say that the Lakers' top trade assets are Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. Obviously, out of those three, losing Odom would hurt the least.
So if the Lakers don't have the cap room to make a big splash in free agency, how can they possibly update the roster?
Trade Odom.
He can net the Lakers a pretty big name and someone who will change up the current Lakers dynamic. It didn't work last year, and it won't work this year, unless a switch is made.
I think the Lakers should be looking to trade him for a point guard to replace Fisher, but I think Lakers fans would settle for a top scorer like Monta Ellis.
1. It's Now or Never for the Kobe Bryant Era in Los Angeles
5 of 5The championship window for the Los Angeles Lakers is closing faster than people think.
After the Lake-Show won two consecutive titles, fans expected that the Lakers would be getting at least three more years of championship-caliber teams with Kobe Bryant leading the way.
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, this past season might have been the last season that Kobe could be the be all, end all, for a world champion.
Don't misunderstand me, though. I'm not saying that Bryant can't be the best player on the best team. I'm saying that finally, after about 10 years being the best, Kobe finally needs some help.
Obviously, he has Gasol and Bynum. But that isn't what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about a perimeter scorer who can take the load off of Kobe and who can draw some of the defense away from him on the outside. During all of these glory years, Kobe hasn't once had a reliable scoring guard by his side. He didn't need one.
But the times, they have changed.
You can't win in this league without a constantly great scorer. Kobe is a great scorer, probably in the top five of all time, but he can no longer bring it for 45 minutes a game for an extended playoff run.
In 2008, the Lakers made it to the Finals with Kobe playing out of his mind. He single-handedly brought them to the title.
Now, in 2011, he is heavily sharing the scoring load with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. But, as we witnessed in May, they are not a consistent enough threat.
Tony Parker, Monta Ellis, Chris Paul. Somebody. The Lakers need to change it up before this championship window is shut for good, and trading Lamar Odom for help is the single best way to accomplish that change.
Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments in the section below.
Thanks for reading!
