Jordan Heimer, Charlie Widdoes and yours truly run a little 3-on-3 action on Lamar Odom:
1. Fact or Fiction: Lamar Odom is worth the trouble.
Jordan Heimer: Duh. Look, evaluating roster moves gets simpler after you make the second round. Either an addition gives you a chance to beat the Spurs or Thunder or it doesn’t. Sure, Zombie Lamar might cost the team a few games. But a fully engaged Odom is one of the few available pieces this offseason that could be a difference make in late-May.
Charlie Widdoes: Fact, although less so at this price. Had he been waived and picked up for cheap or traded along with a pick, the answer would be even more positive. As it stands, they got Lamar Odom back — the guy who can do it all — and one hopes he’ll be happy to be back in L.A., playing alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
D.J. Foster: Fact – but that’s only because I don’t live in the Dallas area. Odom looked like a broken man last year, but I’m a believer in his resiliency. There’s a lot of baggage and a lot of weight on those shoulders, but Odom’s talent has almost always found a way to shine through. It’s worth the risk to see if it will happen again.
2. Fact or Fiction: Lamar Odom will finish games for the Clippers.
JH: Yes please. Vinny could go small and stretchy with Odom at the 5, or he can go big with the Lamar at the 3. Replacing either Caron or DeAndre makes team’s stretch rotation more versatile.
CW: Fact. Hell, he could start AND finish games. If he’s right, he would represent an upgrade playing at the 3 or the 5 and over the course of next season, Vinny will have trouble keeping him off the floor.
DJF: Fact. Odom’s versatility makes him so easy to trust. No matter where L.O has the ball on the floor, he has all the skills to make the right decision. As a near 70% career free throw shooter and a great defensive rebounder, he’ll help keep Vinny Del Negro’s luxurious locks a little less grey than, say, DeAndre Jordan would.
3. Fact of Fiction: The Clippers could’ve gotten more for Mo Williams.
JH: You know, in a thematic way it reminds me of the Chris Paul trade: of course it’s an upgrade, but, given the relative leverage the Clippers had, shouldn’t they have gotten a better deal? Dallas gave away nothing to get exactly the outcome it desired – that can’t be optimal.
CW: I’d like to think that he’s worth more (than essentially nothing), but I don’t know that the Clippers front office as currently constituted could have gotten more. There is just too much going on for Rosner Del Sackgro to expect them to be making creative deals, especially ones that might require excess financial support from Donald Sterling.
DJF: Absolutely a fact, but not because I think Odom is insufficient. I don’t think Williams could have netted a better guy as far as potential reward for this season goes. Here’s my problem though – Dallas was backed into a corner. They had to get rid of Odom. What did the Clippers do with that leverage? Snag Brandan Wright? Get one of the Mavs’ draft picks? Get a future pick? Nope! They gave up their own second round pick, of course. Baffling.
