Still thinking of trading Lamar Odom ?

[tayzer]

Naw, I change my mind. Phil and the Laks finally figure how to use Odom effectively.

Funny, how no one wanted Odom and Bynum at the beginging of the year. Now, their dying to have them, when they break out. Hahah your lost.

[Tommy Trojan]

I would love to keep him, but will we afford him?

[LAKESHOW]

its not about thinking of trading him or not. when asked about his resigning, theres a reason why there was hesitancy in mitch.

take a look at waltons, paus, bynums, kobes, etc. contracts. and the reasons will stand clear.

[EHL]

lamar's ability to fill in at pf and sometimes center and be an elite rebounder is priceless. lakers big men get injured, a lot. odom's versatility isn't a luxury anymore, it's a necessity.

he's much more important than a true sf who will add to the glut (ariza, vlad, luke, kobe for spot minutes)

again, i stress, odom's versatilty is no longer a luxury, its a necessity.

No, it's not a necessity. Unless Bynum is injured the rest of his career, which is a big assumption to make. If he isn't, and if Pau's career is any indication, the 4 and 5 are locked up just fine, Odom doesn't need to play either. If the best reason to keep someone is for injury insurance, and you're pointing to Lamar Odom as that guy to be the insurance, a guy who hasn't stayed healthy in consecutive seasons since the year 2000...well then I don't know what to tell you.

[dockingsched]

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No, it's not a necessity. Unless Bynum is injured the rest of his career, which is a big assumption to make. If he isn't, and if Pau's career is any indication, the 4 and 5 are locked up just fine, Odom doesn't need to play either. If the best reason to keep someone is for injury insurance, and you're pointing to Lamar Odom as that guy to be the insurance, a guy who hasn't stayed healthy in consecutive seasons since the year 2000...well then I don't know what to tell you.

lamar odom, andrew bynum, and pau gasol are insurance for each other. none of them are iron men. my main point though was that even when healthy, there are plenty of minutes available at pf for lamar. bynum isn't going to play all game, and i'd MUCH rather have pau slide over to center and lamar to pf then give mihm/dj mbenga an actual role on this team. turiaf would get minutes, but he's not a better option than lamar/pau, especially when ronny himself has said he has trouble with the size that centers present.

[EHL]

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lamar odom, andrew bynum, and pau gasol are insurance for each other. none of them are iron men. my main point though was that even when healthy, there are plenty of minutes available at pf for lamar. bynum isn't going to play all game, and i'd MUCH rather have pau slide over to center and lamar to pf then give mihm/dj mbenga an actual role on this team. turiaf would get minutes, but he's not a better option than lamar/pau, especially when ronny himself has said he has trouble with the size that centers present.

It seems like you want to have your cake and eat it too when you claim that you don't want Turiaf or Mihm seeing minutes at backup 4 and 5. The reality, though, is that backups usually aren't All Stars. If Bynum ends up playing 35 mpg next season (a reasonable assumption given he played that many for about a month this season before injury), that leaves 13 mpg at C for Gasol meaning Gasol would play another 20 at PF. Would we give all of the remaining 28 mpg at PF to Odom simply for insurance purposes when we could simply play Mihm 13 mpg at backup C with Bynum at 35 starting C, Gasol at 33-35 mpg at starting PF with Turiaf getting 13-15 mpg at backup PF, and then Odom getting 37 or so mpg at SF with Radman/Ariza/Luke (hopefully one of them traded) getting the remaining 10+ minutes at SF?

It's unrealistic to think we should play Odom more at PF, because that just means some other scrub like Radman or Luke will be playing more minutes at SF. Unless you want to max out the minutes Gasol and Bynum play simply to accommodate Odom.

[EHL]

I don't rule out Odom playing PF in spots though. But nowhere near on a consistent basis, that would just be counterproductive because we'd be limiting the minutes Bynum plays. Bynum should be seeing a minimum of 35 mpg, with Gasol right at 35 being fine. Playing him at C too often just takes away from his strength as high post PF, a position he was tailor made for in the triangle similar to the way Malone fit like a glove in 04. No point in playing away from his strengths.

[MikeyMike]

The way I look at it....I wasn't too thrilled with Odom at PF before Pau came.


I think as long as Odom is playing next to Gasol and Kobe....Bynum will just make things even better.

[hermes]

i'm for keeping lamar, his play has been great and seems to have found his place

[scoobs07]

I love the way Odom is playing, but here is the problem:

1. Odom would have to move to small forward, were he is just average, compared to being a way above average power forward. Plus, it would create a major log jam at the 2-3 spots. Sasha is up for an extension and is expected to get 3-4 million per year.

2. If Odom is moved to the bench, he would demote Turiaf to third string power forward. Rony is up for an extension at atleast 3 million per year I am thinking. Why would you want your back up power forward getting 14 million and your third string power forward getting 3 million?

[Erik Eleven]

you can add me to the LO bandwagon.

Wow. That's quite a turnaround, Kreuk. Kudos for coming clean.

Out of pure curiosity, does this mean that next time we discuss a player's future, you'll listen a bit closer to those who predicted this or will you simply go on as before?

Not a cheap shot, just curious to know what you'll take away from it. As you know, some of us have harped for years about how Odom will flourish once surrounded by better players and fully healthy. Again, I'm just curious.

[kobeaki]

HELL NO

[djericho]

He's sold me, and I don't agree on the premise that his contributions will go down when he slides to SF when they have Bynum back. I think Odom's length will help if they do have switch defending between Gasol/Bynum/Odom since all 3 are mobile and not a big liability on pick and rolls/pops (see Shaq)

[Erik Eleven]

Our post defense and defensive rebounding will be absolutely sick with Lamar, Gasol and Bynum.

[kobe#8]

If he keeps play like this hell no!

[B-Scott]

If the Lakers win the title this year, then Lamar shouldn't have to worry about how he plays at SF because why would you move him there when they just won the title with him at PF. It would be obvious that he and Gasol are clicking together.

Unless they just hand the job back to Bynum out of charity even though he had no impact on them winning the title the previous year.

[TommyTheCat]

If the Lakers win the title this year, then Lamar shouldn't have to worry about how he plays at SF because why would you move him there when they just won the title with him at PF. It would be obvious that he and Gasol are clicking together.

Unless they just hand the job back to Bynum out of charity even though he had no impact on them winning the title the previous year.

if by charity you mean a true 7' 280lb center that can dominate on both ends of the court, who was posting 13/10/2 in 28mpg and is ONLY 20yo..............and by the way the lakers were among the top in their conference before the injury so he had a bit to do with them winning the western conference #1 seed & homecourt throughout the west playoffs.

[B-Scott]

It's nice that he's 280 pounds and 7 feet

But if you go through this tough western conference and end up beating the Celtics,then it's obvious the Gasol, Lamar frontline is clicking. There is no evidence that Gasol and Bynum would click together. We definetely wouldn't be as versatile or as quick.

Gasol might have to get more points from the low post with Bynum because Bynum's not going to penetrate and dish. He can pass, but it's not from driving like Lamar. Gasol gets a lot of cheap baskets from Lamar.

Before the injury they played very well. But they also got blown out by the Celtics (Twice) when Doc Rivers told his players to just stay on the alleyoops and make Bynum have to score from the post.

Wont work against Gasol because he can knock down the Mid-Range Jumper, he can face you up and go right by you, plus he has the hands of Bynum.

[B-Scott]

Both teams present matchup problems for each other.

Laker Advantages

Perkins can't guard Gasol

Ray Allen can't guard Kobe


Celtic advantages

Lamar can't guard KG

Rad can't guard Pierce

But players like Ray Allen and Lamar will still produce even though they are being outplayed by the guy there guarding.

[TommyTheCat]

It's nice that he's 280 pounds and 7 feet

But if you go through this tough western conference and end up beating the Celtics,then it's obvious the Gasol, Lamar frontline is clicking. There is no evidence that Gasol and Bynum would click together. We definetely wouldn't be as versatile or as quick.

Gasol might have to get more points from the low post with Bynum because Bynum's not going to penetrate and dish. He can pass, but it's not from driving like Lamar. Gasol gets a lot of cheap baskets from Lamar.

Before the injury they played very well. But they also got blown out by the Celtics (Twice) when Doc Rivers told his players to just stay on the alleyoops and make Bynum have to score from the post.

Wont work against Gasol because he can knock down the Mid-Range Jumper, he can face you up and go right by you, plus he has the hands of Bynum.

i think you're totally ignoring the defensive presense the lakers have with bynum and the kids huge upside. he's not going to get worse than he was before the injury..............only much better. either way, if you think the lakers owner/FO is going to let bynum walk or trade him, i think you have things a bit muddled up in your head.