Lamar Odom's 6th Man Award Is Now a Foregone Conclusion for L.A. Lakers Forward

CBSsports.com reported earlier today that the Los Angeles Lakers were holding a press conference today concerning forward Lamar Odom, which is a pretty good indication that Odom will be honored with the NBA's Sixth Man award.

Odom was a front-runner for the award in a group that included Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry, Philadelphia forward Thaddeus Young and Atlanta guard Jamal Crawford.

Odom averaged 14.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 32 minutes per game for the Lakers while shooting a career-high 53 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from the three-point line.

Some questioned Odom's merits for the award, considering the fact that he started more than 25 regular season games for the two-time defending champion Lakers in the wake of injuries to center Andrew Bynum.

But this season was perhaps the most consistent of Odom's career, and an argument can be made that he was just as valuable, if not more, than any of the other players contending for the award.

If you were to subtract Terry or Crawford from their respective teams, there is a good chance that Dallas and Atlanta wouldn't lose much in terms of production, but if you subtract Odom from the Lakers, then you change the entire dynamic of the team.

Odom's numbers suggest that he impacts the Lakers in multiple categories, and his importance in the Lakers' quest for a three-peat arguably rivals that of stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Odom has often been referred to as the Lakers' sixth starter, and with Bynum's susceptibility to injuries, he has lived up to that mantle more often than not.

But even while Odom's ability to fill in for Bynum or Gasol is appreciated, he is much more valuable coming off the bench because few teams can counter with a player as versatile as Odom.

Odom serves as a primary ball-handler for the Lakers, and has the size and length to be a superior rebounder, as well as one of the team's top perimeter shooters.

Odom is also the spark-plug for a Lakers bench that loses much of its fire-power when he is forced to start.

It will certainly be good to see Odom receive some recognition for his unique talents, since his career has never quite lived up to its expected potential.

There are few players in the NBA who are able to perform as comfortably on the perimeter and in the paint as Odom, and some people feel that he could have been a legendary player if he ever displayed any consistency.

Odom has always treated us to glimpses of what type of potential he has when motivated, but the 2010-11 season was the closest we have ever been to witnessing the total package.

After Odom receives his award, it's back to business as usual, as Odom's Lakers find themselves in what could be a dogfight after inexplicably losing Game 1 of their first-round playoff series to the New Orleans Hornets.

Odom didn't perform particularly well in that outing, as he only recorded 10 points and one rebound, but hopefully he can find more motivation from his first postseason NBA award, and use it when the series resumes on Wednesday.