Lamar Odom: Struggling Mavericks Reserve Will Miss 2 Games for Personal Matter

Lamar Odom's tumultuous first season in Dallas is taking another unfortunate turn, as Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas is reporting that the Mavericks forward will be out of action due to personal matters. 

These issues are hardly new for Odom or the team, as he was away from the team last week, also due to personal matters.

Per Caplan:

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Odom left the team last Wednesday to attend to his ill father in Los Angeles, a source confirmed. After Odom didn't return for Monday's practice, rumors that the 13-year veteran, who briefly contemplated retirement during the offseason, is seeking a buyout were negated by Mavs owner Mark Cuban.

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Caplan also quoted Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who gave Odom his full support. 

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"We think Lamar can be a huge plus for us...Sometimes guys go through issues and we have to deal with them. We always try to support our guys."

"

According to the report, more will be known about Odom's return on Thursday, March 1. 

This has hardly been a banner year for the 32-year-old Odom, who his well below his career averages in nearly every meaningful statistic.

	PPG	RPG	APG	FG %
Career	14.4	8.8	3.9	46.7
2011-2012	7.7	4.5	1.7	35.7

Odom's lack of production has kept him on the bench far more than normal. Even as a sixth man, he averaged more than 32 minutes of court time in 2010-2011. This season, he is logging just over 21. 

If Odom misses only two games, he will return on Friday, March 2, when the Mavericks take on the Hornets in New Orleans. 

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