What Does Lamar Need To Improve

[mmyers37]

One thing even a veteran could work on:

When you are a foot from the basket, SLAM IT.

For God's sake, man! You did it for two games against Utah in the playoffs, and I thought maybe God had intervened. But against San Antonio, it was back to the old Odom, and the no-show in Boston was predictable.

Odom is the second worst point-blank shooter I can think of, just behind Kwame. Starting the two of them, those were dark Laker days. Smush made it even darker. I have long looked forward to the day that the three of them would be gone, and we are almost there.

Odom is tough to a point, but he blanches under the brightest lights, and so we might as well not have him at all. Doesn't matter much who or what we get in return. We can't go through the season with him and let him become an important part of the rotation if he can't go the last mile.

[Leonidas]

Just practice. Is this not the first practice Lamar O has had? I mean, surgery has permitted him from practice during the summer then the death of his kid did the same the previous summer.. With that said, LO just practice shooting, dunking, shooting and dunking the rock...

[PPAW4Life]

I think what you really want is for Lamar to give you 20/10/5 like he was in the playoffs against the Suns a couple years ago.

Lamar outplayed Marion in that series and it was because Lamar was more involved in the offense. Lamar averaged nearly 5 assists in that series and went to the line 6 times per game as well as taking 14 shots per game.

In this past Finals, Lamar's only averaged over 2 assists per game and taking 10 shots per and getting to the line only 4 times per game....and more than 50% of his FTA (16 of his 28 FTAs) came in one game, the final Game 6.

If Laker fans are wanting Lamar to work on his outside shooting so he can be a spot up jump shooter....then that would be the worst for Lamar.

You'd be taking away Lamar's greatest asset and talent on offense....his versatility.

Not many players in this league, his size, can get you points rebounds and assists in bunches.

If you want a spot up shooter...play Vlad Rad or Sasha or Farmar.....even Luke Walton has been regulated as a spot up shooter something he is not very good at. Walton is a guy who needs to play more down low and be physical near the rim.

If the Lakers want more out of Lamar then Phil has to let Lamar run the offense more.

[milesfides]

I have to disagree with some of the assumptions made here. I don't think it's just about aggressiveness. Odom sometimes tries to be aggressive, which results in offensive fouls. Sometimes he tries to shoot to be aggressive - and takes bad long jumpers (although he'll make enough to try it again). Odom trying to be more aggressive is good, but I'd rather have him be more aggressive in the context of being effective.

He's not very good at changing directions, nor is he good with countermoves. He's simply not very good at reacting to defenses, and this deficiency is apparent from halfcourt to the basket. He can throw outlet passes. He can take it all the way to the hoop. In between, he has trouble with.

Odom is good at finishing when he has a clear path to the basket. That's the only time he's consistent with scoring though. Although some people like to consider Odom an underrated post player, I'd have to disagree. Somebody will mention a game or two in the Phoenix series against Marion or something. But Odom has never shown a reliable post game on the Lakers.

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes he does bust out a post move, but it's never consistent from game to game, never a variety, never something that looks reliable. He'll try to lower the shoulder, get contact, and throw up a baby hook. Sweet. Next time, he'll do the exact same thing, and the defender will force him into the offensive foul.

Most of the time, Odom being aggressive is pulling up for the three or driving straight to the basket. Odom also has trouble going right. If he were unstoppable going left, like Lebron going right, that would be one thing. But Odom's very stoppable, which is why eliminating half of his penetration game poses a major problem.

All his offensive troubles make him predictable; thus he's not consistent. Many times when Odom has a good game, it's against a little guard or a slow center. No awesome display of great skills, either Odom is driving past a guy who knows he's going to drive but is too slow to stop him, or Odom is overpowering a much smaller player. Both will force the opponent to quickly adjust, however, which is why Odom is very rarely a consistent offensive presence throughout the game. His successes are usually short-lived. Game to game, depending on the matchup, or even quarter to quarter, depending on the opponent coach's adjustment.

Odom is a talented, all-around player. But he has serious flaws in his game. I don't think he necessarily lacks intelligence as some people say. I just think he lacks some fundamentals.

He has no midrange. He has no catch-and-shoot ability whatsoever. He's a pull-up jump shooter, schoolyard-style. He doesn't move without the ball, schoolyard-style. He has no back-to-the-basket game, no sound footwork that will get him quality shots. He has great size and length, but squanders it.

If Odom could work on utilizing his vast physical talent, he could come up with some dominant or at least reliable skills. Unfortunately, he still can't shed his playground mentality. Actually he does, but then he becomes a limited, passive, robotic player. Like a bird in a cage.

I would love for Odom to work on his skills, that'll allow him to gain confidence, to play by reacting, on instinct, to let his love for the game shine through as it does on some rare occasions, when he looks like an absolute basketball genius.

If he's going to be a guard, then he needs to work on real guard skills. In the halfcourt. Catch-and-shoot. Dribble with both hands, crossovers, entry passes, pick and rolls, drive on both sides. If he's going to be a forward, then he must improve his footwork, his midrange, setting screens, post moves, spins, fakes, bank shots, whatever.

Everybody considers Odom a multi-talented, jack-of-all trades kind of player. But jack isn't enough. He needs to have reliable skills in spades. Everybody thinks its mental. I have to disagree. Of what I've seen of him, every game throughout four years, it's much more to due with a lack of development and refinement in his game, and I think a major culprit is the coaching staff. Decide on his role, make it clear, because ambiguous talent doesn't win championships. Precise understanding and perfected execution of roles wins championships.

He's a good guy though, he's done a lot to try to accommodate the team. I just hope he doesn't overlook the fundamentals.

[Verbal]

+1

With the "coup de grace", miles.

[MikeyMike]

Good post, Miles.

[Kobay]

The problem is he is hogging 14mil but he is not good at any facet of the game, he is mediocre at everything. We could use that 14mil to get two or three guys who are good at one thing and mediocre at other.

[mmyers37]

Odom is good at finishing when he has a clear path to the basket. That's the only time he's consistent with scoring though.

I find that statement puzzling. If what you mean by a clear path is nobody around, as in a breakaway dunk scenario, THEN you could maybe call Odom a good finisher. But to say "good" even in that context would make it sound like he is better than a majority, which probably is not true, since everybody shoots a high percentage in those situations.

I would say Odom's single greatest detriment is his inability to finish. He has no touch around the basket. I am shocked when he DOES make a layup, and that is no exaggeration.

[dockingsched]

The problem is he is hogging 14mil but he is not good at any facet of the game, he is mediocre at everything. We could use that 14mil to get two or three guys who are good at one thing and mediocre at other.

, guess that double digit rebounding is mediocre.

oh, i remember. you're to lamar what b-scott is to kobe. carry on.