RATHER than run the risk of not overreacting quickly enough, the Bulls, Grizzlies and Hornets should be dishonorably discharged from the NBA for failing to draft Lamar Odom when they had the opportunity.
No disrespect to Elton Brand (solid but lacks impact), Rockets import Steve Francis (alternates between superlative and shaky) and Baron Davis (a superb, though still flickering guiding light), but the teams that picked them (“our bad”) handed the Clippers a supernatural gratuity at No. 4.
“There’s nothing he can’t do,” echoed executives throughout the league after observing Odom’s dazzling 30-point, 12-rebound opening show against the Sonics.
Odom, a young Magic Johnson with 3-point range and a post-up game, now italicizes the scouting reports of opponents. Unfortunately for the 6-11 rookie, there’s nobody named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Jamal Wilkes to comfort him during freshman orientation. No made LA teammates to feed off of and feed.
“He beats you off the dribble, on the block and from outside,” one GM shudders. “He creates for himself and for others, and he’s such a good passer. If he ever learns how to shoot free throws, they’ll be talking about him as being one of the best ever to come out of New York.”
The next night Odom downed 12 of 14 from the line (after aborting 7 of 15 in his debut) in a depressing loss to the opulent Blazers, who carved up LA for 121 points on 61 percent field goal accuracy (FYI: Chris Ford officially became the first one to complain about Portland’s minutes).
“The Goods!” Turner Sports’ Kenny Smith dubs Odom. In other words, he’s got the whole menu, equally nutritional and sweetened. In fact, his game flaunts enough goodies to keep Staples Center customers satisfied and bowing to him even in defeat.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned: If we don’t cover our eyes, he’s liable to make Clipper fans out of all us.
How good is Odom?
So good long-time season-suffering-seat-holder Billy Crystal was arrested for scalping tickets.
So good Jim Harrick applied for the Clipper job and promised not to reject it if hired.
So good San Diego wants its franchise back … minus Bill Walton. *IT MAY not have made much of an impression on you, but John “Python” Salley’s six points and four rebounds in the Lakers’ opening-night win over the Jazz indented my cerebellum.
Out of the league for close to three years, my former NBC colleague and highly visible game show personality made the team, I’d assumed, as a third commentator. You can never have enough insurance in case Stu Lantz suddenly comes down with laryngitis, I always say.
Obviously, I’d overlooked Salley’s intricate involvement in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense during his brief tour as a Bull. Clearly, the coach has kept him by his side for several reasons:
Help ease his transition; provide instruction for Jackson’s “attention deficient” pupils; rely on Salley at power forward more than (the injured) Robert Horry.
Lo and behold, in Salley’s second game, another Laker victory, he totaled five boards and two points in 10 minutes. Maybe not the game’s pivotal contributor, but he was the secret square. That’s a triple double in Salley’s stats sheet.
Hey, if he had known he was going to be this effective, he would’ve retired immediately after leaving the Pistons. To think, I used to refer him as Long Gone Salley.
For all you other retired NBA players, the good news is, the upper right hand corner of Hollywood Squares is now unoccupied. *THE LAKERS (and other teams) have expressed interest in macho forward Terry Davis, recently released by the Magic … Look for the Nets, craving inside scoring, to reach out for Armen Gilliam when the Magic drop him within the next week if a trade can’t be arranged. Gilliam ($4M guarantee) would have to clear waivers before the Nets could find salary space ($1M veteran minimum) for him.
Matt Maloney was owed almost $14M when the Rockets cut their starting point guard of two years ago with four years remaining on his contract. His stock has plummeted so far, Maloney may have to go back to the CBA again if he hopes to find work again in the NBA … In Doc Rivers’ first two games as Magic head coach, Matt Harpring, last season’s Magic heartthrob, totaled eight minutes, including one DNP. No, he’s not hurt, Rivers just seems to like Monty Williams more.
Did you notice video workout star Karl Malone notched 14 points in Utah’s loss to the Lakers? I must confess, for a while there, I thought it was a critical playoff game. Malone usually doesn’t disappear until that time of year.
Stephon Marbury put up 34 shots, good for 39 points in the Nets’ opening loss to the Pacers, and followed up with 25 shots, good for 27 in Wednesday’s setback to the Cavaliers. Marbury and I have a lot more in common than anyone would’ve believed possible. Here he is taking one-third of the shots on the Nets. And here all these years I’ve been taking two thirds of the shots at the Nets.
Since the lockout ended, the routine is for teams to open their season at home with fan-friendly speeches by hand-picked players. Wednesday was Shawn Kemp’s turn to address the crowd at Gund Arena. After giving out his phone number, he said, “We need to win every game here in Cleveland to get people back in the stands.” Sure, the guy must be exhausted. Kemp is tired from trying to fill the building all by myself.
