Should Powell Start in place of Odom??

kevin_405 · Post #1 » by **kevin_405** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 3:36 pm

Odom seems to be lost in the starting line up, has no mid range or inside game and clogs up the inside for Gasol. This is what cost us the finals last year... He was doing much better coming off the bench matching up against 2nd unit guys.. Odom moving to the starting lineup has put both the bench and the starting line up out of sync as can be seen from a drop in production from everyone else other than Kobe and Gasol.. and the points Gasol is getting are mostly put backs..

Shouldn't we give Josh Powell a run in the starting line up.. A much better rebounder and a very assured defender... with a good mid range jumper..

This will put the rotations back to where they were before ...

Sedale Threatt · Post #2 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 3:50 pm

It would be a fantastic lift if Josh is capable of handling an increased role. But whether or not he starts is really just window dressing in my opinion, especially once the first quarter is over. With Bynum down, Lamar's going to get heavy minutes regardless, no matter what his role is.

Frankly, I thought Sasha and Jordan played pretty well last night, so I wouldn't make any definitive judgments about the bench just yet.

kevin_405 · Post #3 » by **kevin_405** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 3:57 pm

I dont think it is about minutes.. It is about match ups.. and Lamar has a hard time matching up against bigger centers, which will happen all the time if he plays with the starting unit...

Coming off the bench gives Odom a weaker match up to jump start his game and that also gives the bench momentum and our bench is much better with momentum on their side..

Sedale Threatt wrote:It would be a fantastic lift if Josh is capable of handling an increased role. But whether or not he starts is really just window dressing in my opinion, especially once the first quarter is over. With Bynum down, Lamar's going to get heavy minutes regardless, no matter what his role is.

Frankly, I thought Sasha and Jordan played pretty well last night, so I wouldn't make any definitive judgments about the bench just yet.

Sedale Threatt · Post #4 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 4:05 pm

Frankly, it is about minutes. We're simply not in a position to sit Lamar for the first 8-10 minutes of the game, as we did before Bynum got hurt. That was a luxury that is no longer available for the next few months. We're down a man and as a result Lamar's going to get tons of minutes against the opposing team's front line no matter when or how they come -- just like he did for the past, what, four seasons?

This is a role he and everybody else on the team should be extremely comfortable with.

hermes · Post #5 » by **hermes** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 4:18 pm

it will just take some time to switch gears, lamar will get back to form

Post #6 » by **semi-sentient** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 4:44 pm

Powell should not be starting in place of Odom, but I would love to see him get some minutes at backup C to prevent us from ever having to use Mihm at center. No disrespect to Mihm, but he is completely done in this league.

That Nicka · Post #7 » by **That Nicka** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 4:58 pm

ronnymac2 · Post #8 » by **ronnymac2** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 5:28 pm

No, Lamar should start. Remember in the beginning of the season when everybody was talking about how Lamar is such a great insurance front-court player, just in case one of our 2 7-footers got hurt? Now we are using that insurance. We''l have to play a little differently on offense, but that isn't a bad thing. We will not be as good defensively, but I want Lamar to at least control the boards.

Powell should see increased minutes though. I wasn't sold on him in the beginning of the year, but I like his play now.

shobe_81 · Post #9 » by **shobe_81** » Thu Feb 5, 2009 6:18 pm

semi-sentient wrote:Powell should not be starting in place of Odom, but I would love to see him get some minutes at backup C to prevent us from ever having to use Mihm at center. No disrespect to Mihm, but he is completely done in this league.

Yep, Mihm doesn't have his life and is only useful now for setting picks and once in a while getting the board. He's basically a third stringer and no way will he be able to produce the way he used to prior to his injury.