The 5 most underrated Los Angeles Lakers of the 21st century
By Eric Hirsch
Most underrated Los Angeles Lakers of the 21st century: 1) Lamar Odom
Like Metta Sandiford-Artest, Odom gained plenty of notoriety for non-basketball reasons. But people forget just how good Lamar Odom was at basketball. Not to mention the fact that he played a crucial role on two NBA championship teams.
At 6’10” and 230 lbs., Odom could handle the ball, slash, pass, rebound, and score. Almost LeBron-lite in terms of his combination of size, strength, and agility, Odom aptly handled his role as the off-the-bench star (think Manu Ginobili or Jamal Crawford) on the Laker teams that captured the 2009 and 2010 titles.
In both of those seasons, he nearly averaged a double-double while coming off the bench. While Kobe and Pau attracted the most attention from opposing defenses, Odom provided a dangerous and reliable third option, which has become a quintessential ingredient in the NBA championship DNA.
His noted unselfishness and contentedness to play a supporting role may explain why Odom didn’t rack up more All-Star Game appearances or 20 point-per-game seasons. Instead, he helped the Lakers lift two Larry O’Brien trophies. Not too shabby.
Lamar Odom is the most underrated Laker of the 21st century.
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2009 Playoff Averages: 12.3 PPG, 9.1 REB, 1.8 AST, 1.3 BLK, .524 FG%
2010 Playoff Averages: 9.7 PPG, 8.6 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.9 BLK, .469 FG%