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El Hardee wrote:FINALLY!!!!! Props big Tone great thread. Lamar is so much to the squad, he's the leader of the bench mob, he is the ultimate team player and his unselfishness is rubbing off on the rest. He is a high character guy to play through personal tradgedy and not break. His character also shows by accepting his new role. Now defense was our weakness last year, look how Lamar has stepped his D up. Much respect to LO, not only as a athlete but as a man. If Kobe is the heart of the team, Lamar like a spleen or some other vital organ. Not just a pair of tonsils like Luke.

anklebreaker702 wrote:Good thread Tony. Lamar's willingness to accept his roll without pouting says a lot about wanting to win a title with this team. He was interviewed & said he wants to win a title with this team. He needs to stay. He has sacraficed the unltimate sacrafice. There are other pieces we need to move & it's not Lamar

"The Lakers."

Lakers forward Lamar Odom, asked which team in the West worries him most, nominates his own team.

Four weeks into the 82-game schedule, who can argue?

Using the evidence available to us at this juncture, L.A. looks poised to distance itself from a pack of Western Conference contenders which was amazingly bunched up last season. You'll recall that only nine victories separated the West's No. 1 seed (Lakers) from the No. 9 seed (Golden State with 48 wins) in the 2007-08 season.

This season?

After the Lakers went to the desert and dusted the Suns on Thursday night, it's no stretch to suggest that Denver and perhaps Portland might be the only other teams in the West pleased with their starts, whether we attribute the widespread discontent to injury-induced angst (as seen in Utah and San Antonio) or the myriad issues afflicting presumed contenders such as New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix and Dallas … or the complete collapse seemingly under way in Clipperland.

The Lakers, apart from one bad night at home against Detroit, have been imperious, entering the weekend with a spotless 5-0 road record. They might still be vulnerable against teams (like Boston and even Detroit) that can guard their big men without double-teaming, which gives them a better chance of slowing Kobe Bryant, but the bigger concerns so far have been Odom's long-term willingness to accept a sixth-man role and finding minutes for everyone given such a deep roster.

"It's cool," Odom insists, accustomed by now to questions probing for discontent about his new gig. "This is a championship team. It's not really about me. I still get looks and touches. I have fun running up and down with that second group."

Pressed further about his future -- and well aware that his name will continue to pop up in trade scenarios since he's carrying an expiring contract with a salary-cap number of $14.1 million -- Odom says he's trying to ignore all that.

"This is where I want to retire," Odom said. "Yup."

Bonus short-answer quote from the 29-year-old, when it was suggested that the Lakers, given how they've started the season, should be considered title favorites now: "Nope. Boston."