Lamar Odom accepts he is struggling to find rhythm with the Dallas Mavericks - NBA Update
To say that Lamar Odom is struggling would be an understatement. The Dallas Mavericks man has not had the sort of impact he was brought in to make and is fast becoming a liability. Odom was horrendous again in the Mavericks defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves and the forward has admitted to struggling for any sort of form so far.
"I just missed shots I normally make," Odom said after the game in which he had five shots blocked in the first half. "It's kind of like an exclamation for the start of the season for myself. I'm not myself yet."
Odom is a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year and when he moved to Dallas from the Los Angeles Lakers he was expected to become a spearhead for the second unit. That though hasn’t happened so far.
Something seems missing from Lamar’s game. It’s obvious that he cannot get his shots to fall right now, but his overall play has also been adversely affected and the player was benched midway through the third quarter of the Minnesota game.
Odom is himself still coming to terms with what’s going on. He is disappointed with himself more than others are, but knows that only way to get over this slump to keep trying and be patient.
"All I can do is remain patient. An old friend of mine used to tell me, 'It's not what you're gonna do. It's what can you do. What can you do?'" he said.
Odom’s troubles couldn’t have come at a worse time either. The Dallas Mavericks have been blowing hot and cold this season anyway but have now lost star power forward Dirk Nowitzki. The Talismanic Nowitzki is being rested to make up for a hurried pre-season and some soreness in his knee.
In Dirk’s absence, Odom was expected to get into the starting line-up and take up some major responsibilities. What Dallas have gotten instead is a hapless player who isn’t contributing at all to the team’s cause.
The Mavs though know that Odom has the talent to succeed. They knew it when they made a move for him and they believe the only option right now is to back Lamar so that he can come out of his slump and be an asset for the team.
"We want him to be aggressive," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "We want him to attack. He's got a unique skill of being able to put the ball on the floor and make plays. He just had some opportunities that didn't go down.”
Odom better get his act straight quickly, otherwise it could spell big trouble not only for him but also for the Mavericks.
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