Lamar Odom Comes Off the Bench

Lakers’ forward Lamar Odom is coming to terms with his new role off the bench as the team’s sixth man, telling the L.A. Times, “It humbles you.” Odom is no longer in the starting lineup and is trying to mentally accept his new role with the Lakers. He has previously expressed his disdain at the idea of coming off the bench but is recently altered his mind-set to try to embrace his new role as a challenge. Odom told the Times, “I think mentally it was different. It humbles you. But being humbled has been a part of my life for a long time . . . But for these guys in this locker room, this great organization, a great coaching staff, if that’s what it has to be, that’s what it has to be.”

Odom has thus far seen his playing time equal to those of a starter; the Lakers are four games into the season and Odom is second on the team in minutes played (26.8), fourth in scoring (10.0) and third in rebounds (6.5)  and he has been on the court at the finish of the games. On Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, Odom played 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and delivered season-highs in points (15) and rebounds (9). Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson told the Times, “I thought he played emotionally. Sometimes that’s a concern; he got technical. But he had some good moments out there.” Kobe Bryant commended Odom’s attitude and new role for the Lakers: “A player of his talent and his caliber coming off the bench improves the team tremendously. I think it was very unselfish of him to be gracious in accepting the role, and you see his game flourishing because of it.”

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