Can a guy who spends some nights with a mindset that more closely resembles a trick-or-treater who just got home on Halloween than a professional athlete really determine whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers can repeat as NBA champions next season?
It certainly seems so, as Lamar Odom weighs the difference of $4 million more guaranteed by a move back to the Miami Heat or staying put with his team in the Southland and at his place in Manhattan Beach.
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The choice should be obvious, not only to Odom but also to the Lakers, who stunningly pulled their contract offer off the table last week.
All of a sudden, an extra contract year has overshadowed the fact that Odom can defend four positions and came up huge in the playoffs, leading the Lakers in plus/minus (+15.1) during their run to the league title. Yes, ahead of Kobe Bryant (+13.4).
(By the way, the Washington Wizards would take candy addictions and off nights in a heartbeat if Andray Blatche‘s production was as similar to Odom’s as his body type.)
“I think it’s a huge risk when you lose Odom and [Trevor] Ariza, and you replace them with [Ron] Artest, a walking time bomb,” said one former NBA assistant coach. “I think Lamar Odom has to be in a Laker uniform for them to think about repeating.”
That explains why Odom’s cell phone won’t stop buzzing, whether it’s a plea from Derek Fisher, a call from Artest (which, let’s be honest, could be about anything, not just basketball) or Dwyane Wade trying to refresh Odom’s memory of the candy stores he once frequented on South Beach.
The Heat, of course, needs no reminder that Wade will be a free agent himself next summer.
As for the Lakers, they do still have Andrew Bynum, which would ease the pain of an Odom departure. Should he leave, he’ll take with him any margin for error that Los Angeles might’ve had next season.
