March 10, 2010

Lamar Praised in LA Win

After watching his team barely escape against the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had some serious compliments for Lamar Odom this week.

"I think the world of him," he said to the Orlando Sentinel. "I know at times he’s been a guy that people have been critical of, I don’t get it myself. I think the guy is a great player. He defends and rebounds every night. He’s one of the most unselfish guys in the league."

No. 7 made Van Gundy look prescient Tuesday night with a great second half performance against the Toronto Raptors.

LO finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists, with all of his points, six of his eight boards and four of his five dishes coming in the second half. LO's big finish helped propel LA to a 109-107 come from behind win over the Raptors.

LO battles through the lane during Tuesday's victory over Toronto (Getty Images).

But the way LO has been playing of late has been no surprise to those around the league who know him, including Van Gundy, who saw just how multifaceted LO was in the five game NBA Finals last year. No. 7 put up games of 19 and 17 points, as well as games grabbing 14 and ten boards.

Van Gundy knows more about Lamar than most others around the league. He coached No. 7 with the Miami Heat during the 2003-2004 season, Lamar's only season in Miami and one of Van Gundy's two-and-a-half commanding the Heat.

"Maybe at times he’s not as aggressive offensively because of his unselfishness but he can do everything on the floor," Van Gundy said. "When he comes in the game he’s basically their point guard which allows everyone else to play off the ball. You got a four-man that’s handling the ball for you at 6-10. So, I don’t know. Other people are critical of him. Not me."

Van Gundy went even further, saying that LO’s should be considered among the league’s elite.

"I think he always has been one of the most underrated guys in the league. I think he’s a great player. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s a top 25 or 30 player in this league and he’s coming off their bench."

TAMING TORONTO
LO’s numbers got lost in the late-game heroics of Kobe Bryant, who hit another last-second shot to lead the Lakers 109-107 over Toronto, but the Lakers would not have been in a position to win without the Package’s performance down the stretch.

With the Lakers staring a four-game losing streak in the face, No. 7 picked it up.

He started the game off slowly, recording just two rebounds and an assist in the game’s first 32 minutes, but with four left in the third, it became LO’s game.

He began by assisting Andrew Bynum to cut the Raptors’ lead to three, then hit a layup and a free throw to keep pace after Jarrett Jack nailed a trey.

To start the fourth, LO laid in another, then grabbed two straight offensive boards to finish the possession and cut the lead to one.

When Toronto went on a short run, it was Lamar hitting a jumper, then feeding Kobe Bryant to bring Los Angeles back to within three. He then found Kobe for his fifth assist, tying the game.

Up two with twenty seconds to play, No. 7 hit a free throw to give the Lakers a three point cushion, which they would need after Chris Bosh’s three tied the game, setting the stage for No. 24’s jumper.

ROOM TO IMPROVE
Though the Lakers snapped their losing streak, and were relived to, Odom, speaking to ESPN Los Angeles’s Dave McMenamin after the game, noted that just winning was not acceptable.

"We got so much power here offensively, but [let's] win an ugly game 84-79," Odom said, deciding to key in on the Lakers defensive woes. "They don't deserve to score 100 points on us."

LO said a soft approach was not the way to close out the season.

"A lot of these teams we need to hit first and keep hitting ... There's leverage that we're not supposed to be giving, there's ground that we're not supposed to be giving these teams."

The Package also believed the Lakers woes as of late were primarily of the self-inflicted variety.

"What's crazy about it is that it's giving these teams like a quiet confidence where they think they can beat us and they start talking and carrying on and getting extra animated, even when they come here.

"I don't expect that. It's like the respect level [isn't there]. It seems like we got to take it to teams. [They're] way too confident against us."

LAMAR STIFLES RUMORS
LO took the team's brief return to LA as an opportunity to smother rumors that have been heating up about his marriage to Khloe Kardashian.

As he told LamarOdom.com on Sunday in an exclusive interview, LO said Tuesday that he and Khloe are happily wed, no matter what is said in the press about them, as reported by ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi:

"They can say what they want but I don't pay too much attention to it and neither does she," Odom said. "I guess to a lot of people it's interesting or entertaining but I don't pay too much attention to it. When I married her I knew what I was signing up for.

"I'm a good dude. I've made a good living playing basketball. I don't have to date someone or marry someone to make a better living. I do pretty well for myself. It's too bad that people say stuff like that. I don't think she's hurt by it. I still love my wife."

LO will be the first to note that he's gained some celebrity buzz for his vows to Kardashian, but he has also gained some popularity for being a part of the World Champion Lakers.

"When I married her and appeared on the show a whole new demographic of people knew who I was," Odom said. "People come up to me who don't even care about basketball and say, 'Oh, we love your wife, can we take a picture?' That's just the way it is. You have to expect that. I just try to be myself."

Lamar did joke about one advantage he's gained as a result of the marriage:

"When I married Khloe I turned into a Laker beau, which I've never been called before," Odom said. "Now, I'm a beau. ... I didn't marry her to sell T-shirts but I'd probably marry her to be called a beau. That's the one thing I do want out of the relationship, to be called a beau."

To watch LO talk more about he and Khloe, courtesy of the LA Times Lakers Blog, click here.

NEXT UP
Los Angeles has the next few nights off, until they face division rival Phoenix, in Arizona, on Friday.

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