the guy the Lakers want to play instead of Mihm is the guy who is ultimately Kupchak’s favorite Laker: Josh Powell. We can just assume the part about calling him “Kupchak’s favorite,” because bear in mind that a professional sports general manager’s job challenge is to be part brilliant Billy Beane, part basic bean counter. Powell fits on both counts. The Lakers plucked Powell out of the free-agent leftovers pile, dreaming that in a best-case scenario he’d be a conceivable fit in the triangle offense while adding a physical, hard-rebounding presence to the defense.
He lived up to all those possibilities early this season, even though there was no way to fit him into the game rotation. But Bynum’s injury opened the door fully, and the sweetest thing is that Powell makes less than a million bucks both this season and next season. That means Kupchak would love for no one more than Powell to play great this season and lock up a key rotation role for next season at the peanuts they’re paying him.
Powell would’ve played ahead of Mihm on Wednesday night anyway with Golden State’s lack of size, but it was still timely to see Powell post a season-high 16 points while impressing Jackson with an ability even to defend smaller guys such as Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson. This was why the Lakers had no qualms about showing Mihm the door, whether that was morally right or wrong.
if Odom gets a great offer from some other team in the Summer and does decide to leave how do you feel about Powell taking over his minutes or would you go for somebody like Artest to replace Odom?
edit- wouldn't that be the irony of all ironies, Odom leaving the Lakers on his own and not because he got traded.
