Struggling Odom Gets Tough Love

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. â€”  Lamar Odom, facilitator, has suddenly become Lamar Odom, fumbler, as his turnovers have almost topped his scoring in recent games.

A key to the offense practically since Coach Phil Jackson returned last June, Odom collected eight turnovers Sunday against Detroit after totaling seven Friday against Golden State. He scored only nine points in each of those games.

Jackson, true to his Zen self, will let Odom figure out Odom.

“We try and let him work himself through this little phase of indecision right now,� Jackson said. “That’s his problem.�

Meanwhile, the Lakers move on with their assist leader in a mini-funk, unable to spark the offense in his distributor role.

“There’s not much we can do,� Kobe Bryant said. “He has to figure it out on his own for a little bit. This offense is one where you have to sit and study the tape and study the film. The onus is on him to really study this game and come back with a better effort.�

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Bryant’s 81-point outburst came eight days ago, but the questions keep coming at Jackson and Bryant.

It was Jackson’s turn Sunday to talk about Bryant’s penchant for points.

“It’s about scoring to win. It’s not about scoring to be a scoring champion or to prove a point,� Jackson said. “There is that part of him that relishes making people eat their words. He’s made me do it numbers of times. But I don’t think that’s part of what’s going on with his scoring thrust at this particular time. It’s about the need this team has. He gets in and bails us out a lot of times.�

Bryant has filled roles over the years as a defender, playmaker and feeder of Shaquille O’Neal in the post, but he now has “an outright ticket to ride, however he wants to go,� Jackson said.

“Most of it’s been about the scoring,� Jackson said. “Eventually he’s going to have to back off the scoring aspect. That will come with more confidence in the team.�

Back off?

“From my understanding of the game, you need to have more balance out there if you’re going to have guys contribute,� Jackson said. “Otherwise, they’re not given a fair chance to contribute, they don’t get their number of calls, they don’t get the ability to play the fullness of their game, they have to sit on their hands so to speak, and as a result, they end up not playing at the same level maybe they could play at.�

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Jackson mentioned Bryant, Detroit Piston guard Chauncey Billups and Phoenix Sun guard Steve Nash in discussing the most-valuable-player race a little past the season’s midpoint: “I think Steve Nash still has got to be one of the guys with the record they have. After that, my affections fall toward Bryant even though we’re not a championship team right now.�