“In his past three games, which have gone down as the Lakers’ three best performances of the playoffs, Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, 20 and eight in Game 6, then 11 and 14 in Game 1 of the Finals. Money-making time, right?”
“If Odom turns out to be a valuable part of a championship team, that should have some financial implications, either with the Lakers or elsewhere. If nothing else, the Lakers should view him as insurance for their recent $58 million investment in Andrew Bynum. If Bynum is injured or ineffective, Odom can always pop back into the starting lineup, where he plays well with their other high-salaried big man, Pau Gasol. Odom made $11 million this season, plus another $3 million from a prorated trade kicker. It’s doubtful he’ll get that much in annual salary again in this economic climate, with teams saving up for 2010 and the salary cap dropping.”
“”This may be your last big free-agent contract,” Fisher said. “You want to maximize it. Now you’re in this limited role. It is a tough spot to be in. When you’re on a championship-caliber team like we have, it makes it easier for you to accept your circumstances.”"
“One thing that makes it hard for Odom to find consistency is that the Lakers don’t run many plays for him in their offense. Bryant gets first crack at it, or the Lakers go to Gasol in the post. Fisher and Trevor Ariza are more likely to benefit from Bryant’s drive-and-kicks.”
via ESPN
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