Lamar Odom goes back to the bench, but continues his strong play

By Mike Bresnahan

Dec. 29, 2010 12 AM PT

Reporting from New Orleans — His season had been so strong, the numbers coming steadily night after night, that Lamar Odom wondered if he would be an All-Star for the first time in his 12-year career.

On Wednesday, however, he continued being a vitally important player for the Lakers simply by accepting the switch from starter to sub, as he had done numerous times the last few years.

It’s nothing new for Odom, and all he did was score 24 points, his career high as a reserve, making 10 of 15 shots in the Lakers’ 103-88 victory over New Orleans.

Because of Andrew Bynum’s injury tendencies over the years, Odom has started 94 of the 96 games missed by the Lakers center, and it was back to the bench after Bynum started his first game of the season.

“Some people could have taken it personally,” Odom said. “It didn’t matter to me.”

Odom was averaging 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds on 57.4% shooting before Wednesday, enough to be an All-Star “for sure, no question about it,” Kobe Bryant said.

But Lakers Coach Phil Jackson sensed Odom stumbling in recent games and decided on the lineup change Wednesday morning. He also thought the Lakers could exploit New Orleans’ smaller frontcourt.

“I think Lamar saw it coming, knew it was coming,” Jackson said. “I thought he kind of was looking over [his shoulder].”

Odom was a one-man highlight show Wednesday, drilling a three-point shot with 1.6 seconds left in the third quarter, and putting back his miss with a short bank to end a mini-run by the Hornets in the fourth quarter.

Later, he wrapped the ball around his back and dunked off his miss in case Magic Johnson happened to be watching.

“It’s funny that a play like that happens in New Orleans,” Odom said. “Basketball is almost like jazz. You make one move, take it to another move, but you never know which way it’s going.”

Jackson, ever the stickler for fundamentals, didn’t like it, but Odom didn’t seem affected.

“He’s never impressed with what I do,” Odom said.

The big difficult

The Hornets have been a franchise in flux for years, temporarily moving to Oklahoma City a few seasons ago and recently completing a transaction in which the NBA would buy the financially troubled team.

Jackson, however, said he was “not happy” about the NBA taking control of the Hornets because it could muddy up transactions with other teams.

“Who is going to trade whom to who? Who is going to pull the button on it?” he said. “When Chris [Paul] says he has to be traded, how’s that going to go? Someone has to make a very nonjudgmental decision on that part that’s not going to irritate anybody else in this league. Don’t know how they’re going to do that.”

Jackson’s long-term visions weren’t so bullish.

“I don’t know if New Orleans can support a team,” he said. “It hasn’t been successful supporting a team up to now.”

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Times staff writer T.J. Simers contributed to this report.