Lamar Odom was all set to make his D-League debut on Saturday night for the Texas Legends. Brandon Wright would end up being a late scratch for the Mavericks that day though, and Odom would get called back up to basketball’s big show as a result. He had not played an NBA game since February 20. But more than simply that, he had not played an NBA game well all season.
The Mavs were getting pretty bent about his lack of production too. Jason Kidd publicly questioned Odom’s commitment, and Coach Rick Carlisle was on the radio saying his patience had run thin. Nobody really knew what was wrong with Lamar either.
Then on Saturday night, all that changed … maybe I guess. He played 18 minutes, and finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in the Mavericks 102-96 win over the Jazz. Not the biggest stat line he ever posted, but it was enough for for his coach and teammates to talk about how awesome it was that he scored nine points.
First from Rick Carlisle, via ESPN Dallas:
“This is by far the most energy he’s played with the entire year and I don’t think it’s close,” Carlisle said. “And I would defy anybody to go against that statement. It’s just clear we need this from him every night. If he can bring this, if he can bring that kind of energy and engagement, it’s going to lift our team to a different level.”
And if he can’t?
“We won’t be as good,” Carlisle said. “He’s capable and I believe he can do it.”
Before the game, Odom apologized for his previous lack of commitment to his teammates, and maybe that was therapeutic in some ways.
“It was really personal and it was something I had to tend to,” Odom said of the issue that suddenly forced him to leave the team on Feb. 22. “Mark Cuban is a great owner for understanding. Sometimes we have to fix whatever’s going on off the court in order for us to fix what’s going on on the court.”
Asked if he found resolution to his personal issue to allow him to remain focused for the rest of the season, Odom said, “I don’t see why not. Everything’s OK.”
In response to the energetic performance, teammate Shawn Marion also added the following:
“It was great for him just to be out there and be part of us and playing with energy and flow out there and letting it come to him,” Marion said. “It was great to see him out there, that’s all that matters. If you go out there and play hard, good things happen.”
Hopefully Odom is working through whatever it was that bothered him, and maybe he even did find resolution. It would be awkward to watch him play D-League games if he doesn’t or didn’t, and we were pretty close to having to do just that.
