There's a lot of simple-minded talk about Odom that's annoying not only in its repetitiveness but insistence on being correct.
Every time Odom has a bad game, it's Kobe's fault.
Every time Odom has a good game, somehow we assume that he could have this every time if Kobe just didn't dominate the ball.
Both points of view are a little misguided, a little simple-minded. Guess what, not every game is a turning point.
Like most things in life, you have to consider the context. Such as the opposition.
I guess because we have such high expectations of Odom that we're naturally judgmental about every single game he has. He's not given the benefit of the doubt at all. Each game apparently has tremendous meaning to some fans, as vindication or condemnation. No wonder he seems so inconsistent, one game everybody is about to hail him as the superstar ready to be realized, the next, everybody is calling him a heartless loser.
Give him a break.
Sometimes, Odom has a great inspired game, as he continued his dominance of Marion and Diaw in the payback win over the Suns. Against Mike Dunleavy, he smelled blood and just took it to him. In the Seattle game, he had a lot of fun playing score-and-don't-defend with Rashard Lewis.
And sometimes, Odom has off-nights. Sometimes, he is just outplayed. We saw that with Zach Randolph, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the best post threats in the league. Sometimes he gets a little tired. We saw that in the rematch against Seattle. Sometimes he can't figure out an elite defense, against Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace.
Hey it's understandable. Both his success and his defeats. Little of both have anything to do with Kobe Bryant. He handles the ball just as much in victories as in losses.
Regarding the Grizzlies game tonight, Odom didn't have a great game because the offense ran through him. He had the ball in his hands the usual number of times. Kobe ran the offense plenty of times, and even Smush Parker had a great game making plays for other players tonight.
Why did he have a good game? Because the Grizzlies are pitiful in the frontcourt. Hakim Warrick and Mike Miller couldn't guard Odom for their lives, and Odom naturally took advantage of that. Look at how many rebounds he got.
Unfortunately, Odom cannot play like this every night against a team with a good frontcourt. Let's not expect that from him.
Let's not read too much into single games, whether victory or loss.
He had a great game against the weak Grizzles, as he should have. But let's not pretend that Odom can do this against every team in the league, and blame Kobe when it doesn't happen.
And when Odom struggles against a good frontcourt, let's not condemn him for that being a measurement of what kind of player he is.
As far as I'm concerned, Odom is the same type of player that he was in the second half of last season. Great shooting percentages, good against mediocre teams, a little limited against the better ones. But he tries hard nearly every game. The one step he really needs to take is to fight through adversity, when he's facing a tough opponent or gets in foul trouble, and finds a way to pull his team to victory. That's the next step for him. That's the sign of a leader.
And that's what Kobe does, which is why in any Kobe v. Odom discussion, Kobe gets the nod - EVERY SINGLE TIME. Kobe will fight through adversity. He will perform at the highest levels when challenges. He RISES to the occasion. Mortals win when they should win, lose when they should lose. The greatest players impose their will on the game. They change the tide. They control their fate.
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