Lakers’ Lamar Odom wins Sixth Man of the Year Award
New York, NY, United States (AHN Sports) – Lamar Odom was named NBA Sixth Man of The Year on Tuesday, but could that be bad news for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Odom, who averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and three assists per game and shot 53 percent from the field – the highest shooting mark of his 12-year career – is the first Laker ever to win the award.
Since the award was started during the 1982-83 season, however, only four honorees had gone on to win the NBA championship that season.
Los Angeles started its drive for a third consecutive championship with a loss to New Orleans in Game One of a first-round playoff series.
The 6-10 Odom started 35 games for an injured Andrew Bynum, but the only requirement to win the award is for a player to come in as a reserve more games than he starts.
Odom received 96 of 117 first-place votes from the media panel, easily outdistancing Dallas guard Jason Terry, who finished a distant second with 244 total points to Odom’s 513. Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young was third with 76 points, and Boston’s Glen Davis finished fourth with 75.
Crawford received five first-place votes while finishing fifth, and Philadelphia’s Lou Williams received a single first-place votes.
Odom finished sixth last season to Jamal Crawford of the Atlanta Hawks.
“Everybody in the league that has to play against this guy knows what Lamar brings to the table,” said Suns Coach Alvin Gentry. “I don’t think there’s anyone out there that can do that, and defend those positions and rebound the basketball and has the capability of jumping up and making a three-point shot. I don’t think there’s anybody out there like that.”
Odom was a starter during his first nine NBA seasons with the Clippers, Heat and Lakers, but moved primarily to a reserve role during the 2008-09 season. The Lakers won the NBA championship that year and the next, with Odom coming off the bench for all but five of Los Angeles’ 46 playoff games.
“He’s the best back up player in the NBA,” added Wolves assistant J.B. Bickerstaff, in charge of crafting scouting reports. “You have to come up with so many things to counter him because he can be in so many different spots. Glue guys don’t get enough credit as they should, but Odom’s definitely appreciated by coaches around the league … he’s obviously the most versatile player coming off the bench.”
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