Following a two-game absence to rest an injured shin, Lamar Odom returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night and quickly made his presence felt.

LO got the start and played 22 minutes while scoring 16 points on 6-9 from the field. With the Lakers running short on depth, Lamar drained both of his shots from beyond the arc, sank 2-3 from the charity stripe, and pulled down five defensive rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 113-107.

No. 7’s return and strong performance was a welcome sight for the Lakers, who were without forwards Pau Gasol and Luke Walton.

The day after Lamar’s strong performance, Lakers Blog Silver Screen and Roll released their power forward preview with the following to say about LO:

“With a wildly athletic 6’10” frame, he can function at a high level anywhere on the court, and like Gasol his multiplicity of talents suggest that he was genetically engineered to play in the Triangle. He can either catalyze the second-unit offense or, as he did in Cleveland last year, morph werewolf-style into a low-post scoring and rebounding menace.

If you are an opponent of the Lakers, there is simply no hiding from Lamar Odom.”

It was also reported that Lamar was without setback the day after his return and should be in the lineup tonight against the Denver Nuggets. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PST tip from the Honda Center in Anaheim and can be seen on TNT. The Lakers then put a wrap on a successful preseason tomorrow night when they face Denver again in San Diego. That game at 7:30 PST and can be seen nationwide on ESPN.

Despite some injury concerns throughout the preseason, the Lakers seem to be healing as a team and everyone should be ready for opening night when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PST and the game can be seen on TNT.

FIT FOR A KING
The Kamenetzky Brothers at the Los Angeles Times Lakers Blog report that Lamar and teammate Ron Artest were on set after Wednesday’s practice filming an episode of HGTV’s Design School:

“In this installment, a group of FIDM students were recruited to design a piece of furniture for LA’s forward tandem. I saw the mock ups, and while Artest’s is a tasteful, understated, and extremely comfortable (and large, given the size of the sitter) looking thing, Odom’s is… very Lamar. He wanted, I was told, “leather and a king-like throne.” The result was a large, appropriately regal looking number with a back sweeping up and forward, curving towards the arms as it rises. Looks plush, too. And it comes with an ottoman. And his number will be upholstered into the chair. And the ottoman. Sounds about right, right?”

The episode will debut next summer.

USED TO THE SPOTLIGHTThe LA Times also recently profiled Lamar following a busy offseason that included signing a new contract and a very public marriage.

In the piece, by Mike Brenashan, Lamar talks about being in the spotlight and how it hasn’t changed him:

“Playing basketball at a high level and of course playing basketball in L.A., and being from New York and understanding lifestyles has probably prepared me for it and has helped me stay patient in those situations,” Odom said. “This is a high-profile city we live in and we won a championship, and those things have helped me prepare for what’s to come in my relationship with my wife.”

“It’s part of what they do. It’s part of the world,” he said of the paparazzi. “Once I’m in the house and a comfortable place, they can’t come on private property. If we’re in a restaurant and they want to sit there and take pictures, it doesn’t matter.”

RELATED STORIESLakers’ Lamar Odom is prepared for his new life (LA Times, October 13, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers-lamar-odom13-2009oct13,0,2692...
Power Forward Positional Preview (Silver Screen and Roll, October 21, 2009)
http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2009/10/21/1093843/power-forward-posi...
Time to break out the bubble wrap (LA Times, October 21, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/10/andrew-bynum-shoulder-l...

• Add new comment