In the absence of Kobe Bryant

Lamar Odom Stepping Up

In the absence of Kobe Bryant,nike jordan,   Lamar Odom is playing some of the best basketball he's ever played as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.   I'm not just talking about the stats, I'm talking about leadership.  Lamar Odom has stepped up as a leader of this team in the absence of Kobe Bryant.  In both impressive victories in Portland and Utah, LO set the tone.  He came out aggressive and by that he sent the message to his teammates that we are going to be OKAY and we are going to get this done.
During this stretch of games that Bryant has been out LO has been amazing.  He's been a monster on the boards, scoring effectively and he's finishing strong at the rim.  He's playing with a purpose and he's showing just how talented he is.  How impactful he can be when he's focused and playing with a purpose.  LO is a special,shox rivalry, special talent.  Standing 6'10 and having the ball handling skills of a pg.  When he plays well the Lakers generally,mercurial nike, if not always plays well.  He's their glue guy.
For much of his tenure with the Lakers he has been bashed and ridiculed for not being the "Scottie Pippen" to Kobe's "Michael Jordan."  He never had the aggressiveness and most importantly the consistency to his game to be a dominate number 2 guy on a team with championship aspirations.  However, with the acquisition of Pau Gasol a couple seasons back, LO was able to slide into the role of third option which fit him to a T.   So much so the Lakers went on to win the NBA championship just a year later.
Now with the emergence of Andrew Bynum and the signing of Ron Artest, on some nights he's the 5th option and that just fine with him.  He's more than happy to do the little things,tn requin, to do whatever is necessary for his team to defend their title.  I don't believe there are very many Lakers fans out there who thought back in 2005 that LO would ever display the leadership skills he has recently.  It's been a pleasure to watch him become a winner and to learn what it takes to win.  There can no longer be any question.  Lamar Odom is one of the leaders of this team.  His confidence in himself is at an alltime high.