The Real Reason Lamar Odom Has Never Been an All-Star

Looking at Lamar Odom’s career, I think there were three main factors that led to him never making the All-Star team:  He played for the LA Clippers, he played during a time of some amazing forwards, and he hit his prime on a loaded Lakers squad.

He spent his first four years donning a Clippers uniform.

Only eight players have ever made the All-Star team while playing for the Clippers.  The league has always taken winning into account, and the Clippers are the losing-est franchise in sports history (I say that lovingly having spent three seasons working for them).  They have only won 36.5% in their 39 year history.

He played during a great time for forwards.

In his first year he had to battle Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chirs Webber, Rasheed Wallace, and Karl Malone.

His second year you had the same five plus Antonio McDyess (back when he had hops).

Third year, KG, TD, Malone, Webber, Elton Brand, Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojakovic, and Wally Szczerbiak.  Okay, so maybe he could have beat out Wally, but then again, Minnesota had a better record than the Clippers — the Wolves won 50 games that year, Clipps only 39.  Peja may have been the only other one he could have beat out, but that Kings team won 61 games!

His fourth year included the usual suspects:  KG, TD, Dirk, and Peja, along with Shawn Marion.

In his fifth year, he moved on to the East coast to play one season for Miami.  He helped them win 42 games, got them to the playoffs, and was one of the main reasons they knocked off Baron Davis’ New Orleans Hornets.  However, he got beat out of the All-Star game by Kenyon Martin, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Ron Artest, and worst of all, because the league requires two centers for every team, Jamaal Magloire.  I would love to hear someones argument of why Magloire’s 13.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg, and 2.5 tpg deserved it over Lamar’s 17.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.1 apg?!?

In his sixth year he moved on the the Lakers where he has been ever since.  He was beat out by TMAC, TD, KG, Dirk, Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and Rashard Lewis (the year Seattle won 52 games).

Seventh year, he got beat out again by TMAC, TD, KG, Dirk, Marion, Brand, and first timer Pau Gasol (Memphis won 49 games).

Year eight, KG, TD, Dirk, Marion, Amare, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, and Josh Howard, whose Mavs ended up with a league high 67 wins.

Last year was probably his best chance since Andrew Bynum was out for half the year and Gasol got there just before the All-Star break.  His numbers of 14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg, and 3.5 apg were not good enough; he got beat out by Melo, TD, Boozer, Dirk, Amare, and David West (whose Hornets were battling Lamar’s Lakers for top spot in the West).

This year, he got demoted to the sixth man role and had to fight Pau and Bynum for minutes.

If it sounds like I am making excuses, you might be right.  At least they are legitimate.  Possible Hall of Famers include locks Duncan, Garnett, and Malone, then possibly C-Web, Dirk, Pierce and Pau.

Playing for the Lakers never gave him the chance to be an All-Star

Most guys come into their own between the ages of 27 and 32.  Lamar happened to hit it while in a system — the triangle — that takes two to three years to learn and “master.”  Once LO finally got the hang of it and became comfortable (I would say last year), he then became fourth wheel behind the likes of Kobe, Pau, and Bynum (when healthy).  Not to mention the deep and talented bench.  As such, he is not expected to be a 20/10 guy, although we all know (and wish) he can be.

I made my case for Lamar for HOF earlier, assuming that he stays with the Lakers, gets a couple of rings, while also giving him the benefit of the doubt for never having made an All-Star team.

Case in point.  Jerry West was never MVP.  He lost in the Finals eight times before he won his first title, all because his Lakers dynasty took place during Bill Russell’s Celtics’ dynasty – Russell beat West six times in the Finals.  Would West be known as the greatest ever, instead of going down as just one of the greats, if he won nine rings?

Just because he did not win 14 MVP trophies (let alone one), does not mean he did not deserve any or that he does not deserve to be mentioned with the MVPs.  Lamar may not have actually been an All-Star, but it does not mean that he should not be mentioned with other All-Stars.  There were a few years you could argue that he deserved to make it.  I think it was more due to playing on either a really bad team where he did not get the attention, or on a really good team surrounded by quality players, or simply getting beat out by perennial All-Stars/HOFers, than that he did not deserve it.

Let’s face facts.  He is uber-talented and while he has never scored more than 17 ppg, he is an elite rebounder, dynamic passer, solid defender, and one of the most versitile players to ever play the game.

He is an All-Star in my book.

Do the Lakers have the Prototypical Team

The ideal team should have prototypes of each position.  The point guard distributes; the shooting guard spreads the floor; the small forward uses his athleticism to score inside; the power forward uses his strength to muscle people; the center is the anchor defensively who grabs every rebound.  In reality, you need balance.  You need one wing who can shoot, the other who can slash; you need one big who can bang, the other who can step out and use his finesse.

PG 20/10 — need to be a threat to score to really be effective (Chris Paul)

SG 20/5/5 — need to be a knock down shooter (Ray Allen)

SF 20/7/3 — need to be more of a scorer who can slash and draw fouls (Caron Butler)

PF  20/10 — need to be an inside/outside threat (Chris Bosh)

C 20/10 — need to dominate the paint at both ends (Dwight Howard)

The Lakers are almost there.  Derek Fisher will most likely be a bench player after this year, so the real question becomes, is Jordan Farmar the type who can get in the paint and either score or distribute on a consistent basis, or do the Lakers need to find another point guard?  Should they replace Lamar Odom with a more dominant point guard?

Jordan Farmar (???)

Kobe Bryant (the scorer/shooter)

Trevor Ariza (the slasher)

Pau Gasol (the inside/outside threat)

Andrew Bynum (the banger)

Do the Lakers Have Four Future Hall of Famers

I had a debate with a couple of friends of mine on how many current Lakers are Hall of Fame material.  The difficult thing is you first must define what makes a HOFer.  Is it winning?  Is it dominating?  Is it stats?  Is it going beyond basketball, maybe redefining the game or how it’s played?  No one really knows and it might be less defined than even the MVP!

For the sake of this article, I define it by a players’ winning and his stats.  However, the key is, winning can overcome mediocre stats and dominating can overcome winning, like a Charles Barkley.

The Lakers currently have 14 players and four coaches in the Hall of Fame.

As far as this Lakers squad, you have Phil Jackson who became a member last year; Kobe Bryant, who to me is a lock even if he never wins another ring; Pau Gasol, who may go down as the best Euro ever (no offense to Dirk Nowitzki whom I love), but needs at least one ring, maybe two, to secure his spot; Lamar Odom, whose career numbers are much better than I realized and I think has a good chance if he wins; and lastly, Andrew Bynum, who if he can stay healthy, has a chance to be one of the greats (just borrowing the words of Tex Winters, the Lakers Assistant Coach/Advisor or whatever his position is these days — he had this to say).

Lamar, I think, needs at least two to three rings to be considered.  Then again, with career numbers of 15.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, combined with his unique ability and versatility to bring the ball up, break a guy down off the dribble and occasionally step out and knock down threes, he might only need one to get in.  

(For the record, his career high in FG% was last year at 52.5%; threes was 37.2% in ‘05-’06; FTs was 77.2%, but that was with half a season with the Clippers in ‘02-’03.  It would be nice if he could find his shooting touch again — this year’s numbers are 48.9%/28.4%/59.7%, respectively).

However, his per 36 minute numbers (since he is only playing 29 mpg this year, this stretches his numbers out as if he were playing 36 mpg to level the playing field) are nearly identical to last year, except he is more active on D, and actually taking nearly one shot more per game.  His overall averages are down because he is playing nearly nine minutes less from last year.

Before you scoff at my suggestion that Lamar should eventually be in the HOF, scan through the list of Hall of Famers and you will come across a guy like Joe Dumars.  While he put up a respectable 16.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, and 4.5 apg, he would not appear like a likely lock for the HOF.  I think LO is in that range, however, Dumars has two rings, and was known as one of the greatest defenders, having been on the All-Defensive team four times.  Odom is a solid defender who can guard nearly everyone on the floor, but he needs the rings and he needs to contribute in a big way.

I would also put Odom’s numbers up against that of Robert Parish (14.5/9.1/1.4, .8 spg, 1.5 bpg), who has four rings himself.  You can see winning is a key ingredient to getting you in.

On that note, I have debated this one time and time again with people:  Is Robert Horry a Hall of Famer?  I say yes, without question.  Horry hit more game winners in bigger games than anyone in the history of the NBA (okay, admittedly I am still fairly young, so how about we say more than anyone in my time, and yes, I would even put him up against the great Michael Jordan in this regard).

When I see a guy like KC Jones made it in the Hall of Fame with numbers like 7.4 ppg/3.5 rpg/4.3 apg, I no longer think you can hold Horry’s career numbers (7 ppg/4.8 rpg/2.1 apg, 1 spg, .9 bpg) against him, especially considering he only played in 24.4 mpg.

KC Jones has eight rings with the Celtics — thank you Bill Russell.  Horry has seven rings — thank you The Dream, Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan…did I forget anyone.

There are 136 players inducted into the HOF, a lot of them have surprisingly low career numbers.  It makes me think maybe they were more to honor a guy, kind of like they did with Drazen Petrovic, who died tragically in a car crash at age 28, but in his four seasons was a big influence in the NBA and paved the way for Euros.

The others with low numbers could have had good careers early on and then faltered toward the end with diminished roles, or perhaps their contributions to the game extended well beyond their accomplishments on the court, like some of the early pioneers –for example, Buddy Jeannette – who, before I looked him up, I knew nothing about.

I think Lamar and Horry are perfect guys to compare when talking about the HOF.  Horry is defined by his clutch shots in the playoffs and winning; Lamar might be defined as one of the most unique players to ever play the game, if you simply look at his skill set, with of course impressive numbers to boot.  However, LO did pad some of his stats with bad teams (Clippers/Heat), but I will give him credit for being one of the main reasons the Heat not only made the playoffs, but won a series.

I think both guys are borderline HOF.  Personally, I look at Horry as a Hall of Famer and I think if Lamar gets one ring, he has a good chance; two, a great chance; three and he is a lock.  The good news is, he is only 30 this November, and if he is willing to take a pay cut, will have many more opportunities to win multiple rings.

Remember, this is just one man’s opinion.

Lakers Amazing on Second of Back to Backs

I read an article the other day from a Jazz fan who said Utah would beat the Lakers in the playoffs.  He then went on to provide an excuse for their losses in Miami and Orlando:  It was a back to back on the road against tough teams.  

That got me thinking.  The Lakers have won a lot of big games on the second of back to backs.  So, I looked it up.  We are 12-4 overall on the second of back to backs, and do not think they have all come at the hands of mediocre teams or games in the comfort of STAPLES Center.

The Wins

• @LAC, @NOH twice, DEN, @PHI, PHO, @GS twice, WAS, @MEM, @BOS, @SAS

The Losses

• @ORL, @SAS, @UTA, @DEN

I made sure to leave a comment for the Jazz fan and set the record straight that the Lakers improved from last year (Trevor Ariza and hopefully Andrew Bynum), while the Jazz are the exact same team, only this year they too are beat up and just getting guys healthy.

While the Jazz may provide one of the toughest matchups of all the West teams — Deron Williams can get by Derek Fisher; Mehmet Okur will draw Pau Gasol out of the paint; Andrei Kirilenko is disruptive on the defensive end — we beat them last year and we will do it again this year.  The Jazz, while nearly unstoppable at home, are just bad on the road.

The fact of the matter is, we may not even meet up with them in the playoffs.  They currently sit in the seventh seed (which changes by the day), and would land them an intial matchup with the Spurs.  Unless they get home court, I do not even see them making it out of the first round, let alone winning two series for the chance to face us in the Western Conference Finals!

While there are no back to back games in the playoffs, what our good record in those tough situations shows is that we are battle tested and ready for what ever may come our way in the playoffs.

Top Ten Reasons Laker Fans Should Not Wear Green

No disrespect to the Holiday or the Irish, but I don’t think Laker fans should wear green. Especially since the Lakers/Boston rivalry is back.

Top Ten Reasons Why Lakers Fans Should Not Wear Green

1. Raja Rondo tried to step up to Kobe. He looks like Tyrone from the Dave Chappelle skits.
2. Paul Pierce faked an injury during the finals and later claimed to be the best player in the world.
3. Ray Allen has hated on Kobe his entire career. This was Kobe’s response.
4. They signed Stephon Marbury.
5. Paul Pierce starts shaking late in games to get foul calls. It’s worse then Ginobili. It’s like watching Micheal J Fox play basketball.
6. KG ignored my buddy when he was interning for the Clippers.  All he was trying to do was relay a message not to run over the kids on the court during pre-game.  Shame.
7. Celtics new big 3 could never compete with the old big 3, and neither could compete with the Lakers old big 3 (Magic/Worthy/Kareem).
8. Ray Allen’s acceptance speech at the ESPYs started with, “Another win in LA…”.
9. A good portion of Boston fans seem to be drunk, over weight, and racist.
10. 131-92. Redemption this year!!

Who is Smush Parker to be Going After Kobe Bryant

Oh the lonely path of an ex-Laker who didn’t quite make it.

I was watching Rome is Burning — Jim Rome a fellow Guacho — and he started the show off with a quote from ex-Laker Smush Parker, recently of the Guangdog Southern Tigers in China:

“Playing with the Lakers was an overrated experience.  The problem was never with Phil Jackson.  It was with (24), formerly known as K.B., Kobe Bryant.  The problems with that team start with him and end with him…Everybody thinks that playing with Kobe Bryant is the best thing since sliced bread, but it’s not.”

First off, who does Smush think he is?!?  I don’t think anyone outside of his family, friends, and, unfortunately Lakers fans, even knows who this guy is.  Rome goes on to rip him a new one saying we wouldn’t even know who Smush was if it wasn’t for Kobe and he probably wouldn’t have a contract with his Chinese team if it wasn’t for Kobe.  Does he know he’s Smush and Kobe is Kobe???

I got a nice kick out of that one.  I thought it was real big of Smush to take zero responsibility for how that Lakers squad performed that year.  He has to go down as Kobe’s worst back court mate ever (now I will admit there was a time early that year where I thought he had potential).  Of course the problems with that Lakers team never had to do with Smush who showed up 3 games a month; who got beat night in and night out because he was too focused on trying to get steals; who turned the ball over more times than the Pistons did that whole year!

(Oh no, I just saw the photos of A-Rod kissing a mirror.  That is so offensive to athletes and men worldwide).

I only wish I was still driving to STAPLES Center in the morning, so I could have heard the response from fans on Rome’s LA radio show.

…and now I am regretting spending even this much time on a guy like Smush…

Kobe Bryant to Pass Michael Jordan in 315 Games

Kobe Bryant is currently 8,824 points behind Michael Jordan – if he can average 28 ppg, he will pass him in 315 games or 3.8 seasons.  Kobe Bryant continues to inch toward Charles Barkely on the all-time scoring list.  He is on pace to pass the loveable NBA legend in 10 games, or April 3rd vs Houston.  He is also only 14,919 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the All-Time leading scorer — if he can average 28 ppg, he will pass him in 533 games or 6.5 seasons.

The Second Coming of Magic/Bird/Jordan?

How good is this years MVP race!  Three guys who are getting the most out of their teammates by pushing them to be the best they can on a nightly basis.  It has also become a can-you-top-this race as it is pretty clear they are paying attention to one another.

Not that I am in favor, or even think Dwayne Wade has a realistic chance at the MVP trophy (due to the lack of talent around him and the fact they are only six games over .500), but he continues to amaze.  Thanks to ESPN, who just informed the world that Wade produces 49.7% of the Heat’s field goals created, if you include assists and field goals made; LeBron James creates 46.4%; and Kobe Bryant creates 37.2%.  Wade’s 29.9 ppg average is 30.3% of the team’s points; LeBron’s 28.5 ppg is 28.4%; Kobe’s 28 ppg is 25.9%.

This got me to thinking:  Is it fair to compare this trio to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan?

The answer is probably not, at least not yet.  However, I am going to compare them side by side nonetheless.  What I want to do is actually look at LeBron as Magic; Wade as MJ; and Kobe as Bird.

• The new group has four rings between them — the 80s and 90s boys produced 14.
• The current trio has one MVP — the old trio had 11.
• KLW have made the All-NBA First Team eight times (going on 11 after this year) — MJB has 28.

How do they compare at the same age

• Bird (age 30) — 37.1% of team’s FG         Kobe — 37.2%
• Magic (age 24) — 34.1% of team’s FG      LeBron — 46.4%
• Jordan (age 27) — 39.7% of team’s FG     Wade — 49.7%

During one of their MVP seasons

• Bird — 38.9% (’84-’85)
• Magic — 44.4% (’86-’87)
• Jordan — 39.3% (’91-’92)

Obviously, there is more we can do to compare the groups, but I think this current trio stands out and is on their way.  Bird and Magic took the league to new heights during the 80s; Jordan then ran with it in the 90s.  To really make a statement, this group has to do the same, and I think the NBA is clearly trying to use Kobe, LeBron, and to a lessor extent Wade, to promote the league in a similar way.  They are becoming global icons, thanks in part to the Olympics, but what will really define their greatness, and whether they will stand the test of time, is if they win less hardware (MVPs) and more jewelry (rings) as their forefathers did decades earlier.

Winning defines us!

Does the Lakers Bench Need Fixing?

The bench has had a tough time, especially the past three games, giving up big leads in the second quarter in Houston and in San Antonio; then giving up a 15 point third quarter lead at home vs Dallas, when Kobe went out for his normal break.  This is a disturbing trend, especially considering one of my recent articles on how vital I think this Lakers bench is to their eventual success.

Is it really that bad?

Bench Plus/Minus the past three games:

Houston

• Luke        0
• Farmar    -3
• Sasha    +6

San Antonio

• Luke        -12
• Farmar     -1
• Sasha      -5
• Powell      -7

Dallas

• Luke        -11
• Farmar     -3
• Sasha      -16
• Powell      -12

So what do you do?

I heard Jon Barry & Jack Ramsey both suggest Andrew Bynum should come back and play off the bench.  Coincidentally, I had that same thought during the Rockets game and was getting ready to write about it, when I noticed Barry and Ramsey were on the same page.  You have to look at it this way:  Lamar Odom is such an emotional player, as we all know, and I think sending him back to the bench would be devastating for his mental make-up.  You cannot mess with him.  It was well documented that he did not take the demotion at the beginning of the year very well and if Bynum comes back to the starting lineup, then I think LO will simply disappear.

Ramsey also mentioned that Luke Walton was in fact the one that went to Phil Jackson after the Portland loss and told him he would be better suited for the second unit because they were in need of a passer.  I love that.  It is so true.  Trevor Ariza shined in his start vs the Spurs and Luke was probably our most effective bench player.  Ariza backed it up today vs the Mavs with a career high in points.  I think with Jordan Farmar struggling the way he is and Lamar currently starting, you need a guy that can move the ball, create for others, and is a willing passer.  Luke might become the gel to that unit and if Bynum comes off the bench, you don’t think Luke will be able to get him some easy buckets?!?

Do Lamar Odom & Pau Gasol Have What it Takes?

Last year, the Lakers lost in the Finals, and a lot of the fault fell to Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol.  Have they changed?  Is there a way to determine whether they can step it up when it really matters most?  I may have found one way.  I want to put them in a hostile environment, say in Houston or in San Antonio, and see how they perform.

We just witnessed (my apologies to LeBron & his marketing team) Kobe dominate on the road in some of the toughest places to play in.  Houston and San Antonio were a combined 50-14 before the Lakers came to town.  Our boys came away with back to back road wins — again.

The Lakers are 9-5 (.643) overall in the toughest arenas to play in.  I looked at the top 11 home records, minus the Lakers, of course.  CLE, UTA, POR, BOS, HOU, ORL, ATL, DEN, DAL, SAS, and NOH have a combined record of 278-74 (.790).

So what are the results?

Kobe Bryant

• 29 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.21 apg, 0.93 spg, 0.57 bpg, 1.21 3pg on 32.1%, 2.07 tpg, 43% FG, getting to the line 8.07 times hitting 84.07%.

Pau Gasol

• 18 ppg, 9.07 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.21 spg, 0.85 bpg, 2.07 tpg, 54.9% FG, shooting 4.64 FT per game at 75.4%.

Lamar Odom

• 11.8 ppg, 9.54 rpg, 2.54 apg, 1.08 spg, 0.77 bpg, 1.77 tpg, 44.7% FG, with only 3.69 FT attempts on 66.7%.  He only played 31.5 mpg and averaged 3.2 fpg.

The thing that stands out for Kobe  is he averages 1 more point per game than his overall number, but is shooting more than four percentage points worse and nearly 1 more FT attempts.  Pau’s numbers are very comparable with nothing really standing out (that is a good thing).  LO is scoring 1 more point, but shooting 5% less.  He is grabbing 1.5 more rebounds per game, and actually shooting FTs 7 percentage points higher.

I think it is safe to say that Lamar and Gasol, while maybe not shinning in these difficult situations, are definitely notbacking down or underperforming.  At the very least, maybe they won’t be the reason the Lakers lose if they make the Finals.  As long as they can play the same way they have played during the regular season come playoffs, I think Kobe will step up and have what it takes to lead them to the promised land.