Either Lamar or Bynum need to be benched

Taiwan Killa · Post #1 » by **Taiwan Killa** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:22 am

The spacing on the floor won't be right with Odom, Gasol and Bynum on the floor at the same time.

Odom has a bad jumpshot, teams can easily double off him. His strength is putbacks, rebounds, and driving on slow power forwards. All stuff he can't use when playing small forward. And if he did play in the post he'd either crowd it up or force Gasol to be a midrange jumpshooter which is a waste of his talents.

I think we'll all agree that Lamar is better at PF than SF.

Now Gasol is an all star so it would be ridiculous to bench him. So that either means we bench Odom or Bynum. And bring in one of our SFs, Radman, Luke, or Ariza. I think any one of them would work.

Bynum has experience with the bench mob and we know he's dominant in that role but then again he has to start eventually. Odom I'm not sure I trust running the 2nd unit.

Who do you guys go with? Or maybe we should leave all 3 in the front court, why or why not?

Kweli · Post #2 » by **Kweli** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:23 am

There is no way Bynum should be benched when he gets back. He was playing better than Gasol before the injury anyway.

Post #3 » by **dockingsched** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:28 am

fisher/farmar
bryant/sasha
walton/ariza
gasol/odom
bynum/turiaf

El Hardee · Post #4 » by **El Hardee** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:28 am

IMO we post Bynum and Gasol across the key from each other down low, swinging the ball around the perimeter in and out to Bynum on one side and Gasol on the other. We use Kobe as the slasher(SF), with Fish roaming the perimeter for kick outs. Then we have Lamar facilitate the tri. I think these guys together will bring the best out of each other.

Post #5 » by **LLcoleJ** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:28 am

No. They dont need to be benched.

Bynum is the Center and Gasol is the PF. Gasol has an outside game and Bynum has an inside one. Yet, Gasol can play on the inside at will be that much easier for him when Bynum is getting all the attention. They are actually going to be a perfect twin towers duo in that regard.

Odom while he is not the ideal SF he will be able to fit in the starting lineup up and make our 3-4-5 positions very strong on the boards. This argument would have some weight to it .... if Odom was doing what we all wanted him to be doing the past few years and that is playing in the post...he/we dont have to worry about that anymore. LO can be our utility guy who grabs boards and dishes while getting points off put backs and left drives.

Now, if there is a move to make that will make sense for Odom that shores up the 3 then we do it... if not, our Big4 is better than any in the league.

Gerald3Wallace · Post #6 » by **Gerald3Wallace** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:31 am

no way we bench bynum...unless he still not 100% when he ocmes back

Taiwan Killa · Post #7 » by **Taiwan Killa** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:43 am

Phil_2.0 wrote:No. They dont need to be benched.

Bynum is the Center and Gasol is the PF. Gasol has an outside game and Bynum has an inside one. Yet, Gasol can play on the inside at will be that much easier for him when Bynum is getting all the attention. They are actually going to be a perfect twin towers duo in that regard.

Odom while he is not the ideal SF he will be able to fit in the starting lineup up and make our 3-4-5 positions very strong on the boards. This argument would have some weight to it .... if Odom was doing what we all wanted him to be doing the past few years and that is playing in the post...he/we dont have to worry about that anymore. LO can be our utility guy who grabs boards and dishes while getting points off put backs and left drives.

Now, if there is a move to make that will make sense for Odom that shores up the 3 then we do it... if not, our Big4 is better than any in the league.

Like you said Lamar is best at putbacks and boards. He can't do that playing SF because we'll have Bynum and Gasol by the basket. Lamar can't hit a jumpshot.

What I'm trying to say is that teams are gonna leave Odom completely open with Fisher a great shooter, Bynum (automatic from inside), Pau Gasol (obviously a good scorer), and a little scorer by the name of Kobe all out there on the floor. I'm not sure if Lamar will be able to take advantage of it because he can't shoot and how will he drive if Gasol and Bynum are each in the paint?

Post #8 » by **LLcoleJ** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:49 am

Taiwan Killa wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Like you said Lamar is best at putbacks and boards. He can't do that playing SF because we'll have Bynum and Gasol by the basket. Lamar can't hit a jumpshot.

What I'm trying to say is that teams are gonna leave Odom completely open with Fisher a great shooter, Bynum (automatic from inside), Pau Gasol (obviously a good scorer), and a little scorer by the name of Kobe all out there on the floor. I'm not sure if Lamar will be able to take advantage of it because he can't shoot and how will he drive if Gasol and Bynum are each in the paint?

in Theory -- we have 3 players on the team that could and should be doubled team. Obviously the oppossing team only has 5 players to work with. That leaves Fisher and Odom and they are very good passers. The mis-matches far out weigh the lack of Odom's shooting.

also, its not like Odom wont be able to rebound because he is at the SF. He has played that position most of his career and is always a good rebounder.

Not to mention, games are not so black and white.. on any given night we can have different rotations with our shooters in there and be fine.

We just have an ample opportunites on the offensive end and Odom will only help with his mismatches.

LakerFanSince84 · Post #9 » by **LakerFanSince84** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 3:49 am

This thread needs to be locked.....That is the dumbest statement made yet since i've been on here....

hermes · Post #10 » by **hermes** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 4:10 am

we can't bench bynum

Lakers05 · Post #11 » by **Lakers05** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 4:33 am

Against the right competition, Bynum can put up Gasol's numbers in a half, and that's playing with Kobe.

I have a feeling that Gasol's numbers will dip playing here. It's happened a lot in the past, we'll see if Gasol can be an exception.

Kobay · Post #12 » by **Kobay** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 4:53 am

i agree with this thats why we either send odom to bench or get kapono or some guy who plays defense and can hit the three.

Kobay · Post #13 » by **Kobay** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 4:58 am

Phil_2.0 wrote:No. They dont need to be benched.

Bynum is the Center and Gasol is the PF. Gasol has an outside game and Bynum has an inside one. Yet, Gasol can play on the inside at will be that much easier for him when Bynum is getting all the attention. They are actually going to be a perfect twin towers duo in that regard.

Odom while he is not the ideal SF he will be able to fit in the starting lineup up and make our 3-4-5 positions very strong on the boards. This argument would have some weight to it .... if Odom was doing what we all wanted him to be doing the past few years and that is playing in the post...he/we dont have to worry about that anymore. LO can be our utility guy who grabs boards and dishes while getting points off put backs and left drives.

Now, if there is a move to make that will make sense for Odom that shores up the 3 then we do it... if not, our Big4 is better than any in the league.

Unfortunately, odom getting payed 14 mil to rebound and dribble is blah... if he had the ability to defend he would be perfect for the team. Fact is team needs to be able to defend or else championship will remain unreachable and we need a james posey or bruce bowen kind of guy.

tayzer · Post #14 » by **tayzer** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 5:07 am

Move Odom to the bench to play a role like Manu, and start Ariza for defense or Sasha to shoot lights out.

Post #15 » by **milesfides** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 5:18 am

Nobody NEEDS to be benched, but I think an uptempo 2nd unit with Farmar and Odom would be a good idea.

As we saw at the end of the Toronto game, there were several sequences when Odom led the break. These were broken plays, some would say garbage time, but he played loose and free, and he made some spectacular plays. Finding a role in the triangle among Pau, Bynum, Kobe, and Fisher might be tough for him.

However, with the run and gun second unit, pushing the ball with Farmar, he'll be at his best. Shooters like Sasha and Radman spreading the floor, Turiaf trailing for the power moves, Odom could be allowed to play his natural type of game.

Doesn't necessarily mean that Odom should be benched, just that his minutes should be distributed so that he's always on the floor with the 2nd unit.

slifersd · Post #16 » by **slifersd** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 5:38 am

Bynum can start off coming off bench when he comes back initially to get the rhythm back. After that, he has to start. He is our best low post defender and a combo of him and Gasol will give us unbelievable length on both ends of the floor. Odom can take his underachieving, airball shooting butt to the bench now, only to find that there are no other flunkies there to hang out with him any more.

J Rob · Post #17 » by **J Rob** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 6:15 am

milesfides wrote:Doesn't necessarily mean that Odom should be benched, just that his minutes should be distributed so that he's always on the floor with the 2nd unit.

I agree completely.

Let him start but keep him on the floor with the 2nd unit.

Let Radman and Luke get some time with the starters.

Unless we have another trade in the works for Odom, that's the best solution imo.

Post #18 » by **LLcoleJ** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 6:18 am

Kobay wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Unfortunately, odom getting payed 14 mil to rebound and dribble is blah... if he had the ability to defend he would be perfect for the team. Fact is team needs to be able to defend or else championship will remain unreachable and we need a james posey or bruce bowen kind of guy.

yeah his name is Ariza

brandonkb8 · Post #19 » by **brandonkb8** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 12:15 pm

Ur crazy Odoms natural position is SF.....Gasols natural position is PF, and Bynums natural position is C.....Its perfect!...Odom will be better at SF because hes going to be bigger then almost every SF there is and plus hes fast enough to keep up with them to!!! its perfect!!!!!

LAKESHOW · Post #20 » by **LAKESHOW** » Sat Feb 2, 2008 12:35 pm

i agree. for the lineup to work, walton needs to be inserted as starter. get his shot back in the right rhythm and direction. he already has the passing instincts. and stick gasol down there next to him and bynum.

the big key is this, having lamar now coming off of the bench . . . THIS WILL WORK! lamar has a run and gun style of play that will work very well with farmar. and lamar should be able to take down any teams 2ndsquad scrubs.

thats a good fit. bench lamar, start walton.