Lamar Odom holds not only his fate, but the fate of the whole league in his hands. If he resigns with the Lakers they are clearly the favorites to repeat. And if he decides to take the offer from the Miami Heat that could change the balance of power in the East.
Obviously, Odom would prefer to stay with the Lakers. The Miami Heat offer has been on the table the last couple of weeks and hasn't changed. The only thing differennce is D. Wade has flown to LA to try and recruit Odom, but the money has stayed the same. And reports are that Lakers owner Jerry Buss has actually dropped his initial offer.
Everyone is assuming that the exchange of Ron Artest for Trevor Ariza makes the Lakers a better team. Right now Artest is a better all-around player than Ariza, but may not be a better fit for the Lakers. Ariza knew his role as a defender and spot of 3-point shooter and didnt demand the ball fir perfectly with a team that has Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Artest likes and needs the ball in his hands. How is he going to fit in the triangle offense? Artest is not a great stand still 3 point shooter. So thinking that Artest can take the place of both Odom and Ariza is comincal when he may not even be as good a fit for the Lakers as Ariza was.
Why does a non-starter even matter? Because Odom coming off the bench gives the Lakers a player that can play multiple positions and roles. If he leaves it takes away from the diversity the Lakers can play with and the multiple match up problems they present. Most teams don't have a player that can match up with Odom.
That description of Odom would make you think he is a top 10 player in the league. He clearly has the talent to be in that conversation but not the consistency. Odom is a player that is better suited to be the 3rd or 4th option. It is a lot easier for him to be effective when he isn't the focal point. That way he can be good at a bunch of things instead of trying to be great at a few things.
If Odom stays with the Lakers they will be the slight favorites over the San Antonio Spurs to get out of the West. No other team in the West besides the Spurs did enough to improve themselves to compete with the Lakers. If Odom doesn't resign with the Lakers the Spurs would jump over the Lakers as the favorites in the West.
Either way the road out of the West is already easier than getting out of the East. And if Odom goes to the Heat that adds another team to the list of possible contenders that already includes the Celtics, Cavs and the Magic. And who knows how a healthy Washington Wizards teams will play into the mix? The road out of the East with or without Lamar Odom will be more brutal than the West.
As Lamar Odom sits around eating candy and deciding his fate, a lot of NBA teams hope that he decides to go to the Heat. It doesn't mean the the Lakers can't repeat, because you know Kobe will do everything in his power to get that 5th ring. And if Artest accepts and plays his role properly the Lakers starting 5 is better than the one that won the title last year. But a whole lot of teams will breathe easier if and when Odom puts on that #7 Miami Heat jersey.
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