Lakers consider starting Lamar Odom

[Lost Angel]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4505386

(towards the end, quick sentence)


with the Lakers already considering limiting Fisher's minutes, they may start this lineup:

Bynum
Gasol
Artest
Kobe
Odom

Lamar brings the ball up a lot (he's capable of course) and Kobe will bring it up also I bet.

do you think this could work? would it be smart to do that? I'd rather have Odom off the bench

[DEEP3CL]

Myself, imworthy, Anklebreaker702 and butter17 have been saying for the last 2 years if he starts that front line.................it's OVER for everybody. Especially since word is that Drew has toned his weight down, in other words transition defense won't be a problem.

[That Nicka]

Against certain lineups it would work just fine... but it could be trouble win trying to defend athletic teams... Of course we could just pound it into the post on the other end to wear them down

[CowsMoo]

I like the concept, and it's a dream to see it on the court. If it works beautifully... oh my god, every team out there better watch out. This has been in the making since Gasol got here.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I know that that line up is a lot of peoples wet dream, but who would that leave us comming of the bench first? Sasha? Walton? Mbanging with Mbenga? Fisher? :shivers with dread:

[laduane1]

I think you need a true point guard out there. If it is not Fisher or JF, then someone. Lamar is good, but small guards will pick the ball from him. If it was a dream of a all tall team vs. a smaller team. It would have worked by now. Fisher is a key to the season.

[dockingsched]

i'm not a fan of any lineup that puts odom at sf. odom is at his best at pf, and both his sf and pf performance would suffer if he has to split time at both vastly different positions. i also think it ruins the big man rotation of gasol/bynum/odom for 48minutes that was absolutely devastating before bynum got hurt and had limited minutes/performance.

[Cookin Baskets]

If bynum is still injury prone. i would start odom at pf with gasol at center. With artest there also thats not bad lineup depending on matchups.

otherwise if bynum is healthy then is lakers 1st guy off the bench which helps production off the bench.

posted via nintendo wii

[Tommy Trojan]

There is a reason why we won a ring last year with D Fish as our starting PG. Lets keep it that way

[TruSkool]

As tempting as that lineup sounds, i think it would be smart to start with shannon brown and not lamar odom, especially if we already have ron artest in the starting lineup because-

1. we keep 3 high caliber players on the court at all times, while there is always 1 player resting.
2. our bench doesnt become stripped down
3. lamar odom on defense will be beat repeatedly against quicker and smaller guards.
4. i dont trust bynum not having a 'permanent' back yet.
5. this might sound cocky, but in all honesty, we really dont need to.

starting shannon brown would limit derek fisher's minutes, thus, brown is a lot like fisher on the offensive end (hitting open 3's) but much much better on defense (see defense on deron williams vs jazz in playoffs--amazing)
starting jordan farmar is out of the question.
i think phil is smart about the gasol-bynum-odom rotations so why start odom when you already have artest? it doesnt make sense.
use shannon brown.

[J Rob]

Before the "redeem team" we had an olympic team that was WAY bigger and stronger than any opponent.

However, when the other teams realized nobody could punish them consistantly from the outside, they packed it in the paint and team usa became incredibly ineffective on offense. It was straight ugly to watch.

Then on the defensive end we were pick and rolled to death and couldn't handle the speed of the opposition.

I'm not saying one way or the other but its something to think about.

[NetsForce]

To be honest I would probably fly down to L.A. and watch a game if this were to happen. This seems so ridiculous it could work.

[Hyral]

I'd probably cream myself if i saw Kobe, Artest, Odom, Gasol, Bynum on the floor at the same time. Most talented starting 5 in a long time, all players all-star calibur.

[arigold24]

No harm in trying it out. Phil is a mad scientist when it comes to mixing players to make things work. He will throw them out there in the 4th when they have like an 8 point lead and will go from there.

The alternative isn't too bad either if u want a tru PG take bynum off move pau to 5 lo and ron to 4 and 3 respectively and stick in the mr .4 . That way u got bynum and maybe even shannon to come off the bench for a spark.

Other teams are worrying about other things while the Lakers have the best kind of problem a team can have.

We got some big guns just need to use them right.

[TonyMontana]

i'm not a fan of any lineup that puts odom at sf. odom is at his best at pf, and both his sf and pf performance would suffer if he has to split time at both vastly different positions. i also think it ruins the big man rotation of gasol/bynum/odom for 48minutes that was absolutely devastating before bynum got hurt and had limited minutes/performance.

Yup I agree with you and Snaq.
Also Lamar coming off the bench allows Lamar to run the second unit and thats where we need the leadership from him the most is with our second unit.

[Slava]

This could screw up the spacing and make LO make a more dribble driver or a passenger waiting for the open 3 on most possessions. I really liked the way our 2nd unit ran more with him and Fisher is a key starter playing alongside Kobe and Gasol, who's production off the bench becomes very much insignificant.

[Lost Angel]

i think on defense we would just put Ron Artest and Kobe on the guards, with Odom guarding the frontcourt player.

but we need Odom's presence on the bench. thats just my two cents

[butter17]

Myself, imworthy, Anklebreaker702 and butter17 have been saying for the last 2 years if he starts that front line.................it's OVER for everybody. Especially since word is that Drew has toned his weight down, in other words transition defense won't be a problem.

I AGREE 100%

[LLcoleJ]

Don't want to see LO playing SF. He is better suited as a PF and if that means he comes off the bench then he comes off the bench.
As far as I am concerned, if LO starts then we have an issue with Bynum. Let's hope LO does not start.

[shortodom]

I don't think that lineup should start but it should be used sometimes