The final score in Boston last night was 94 – 107, in favor of the Boston Celtics. It was not even as close as the score indicates. The Lakers were struggling throughout the game. There were two interesting performances to note:
1. Lamar Odom: 32 minutes of playing time – 4 points – 4 personal fouls
2. Andrew Bynum: 27 minutes of playing time – 4 points – 4 personal fouls
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with twenty eight points. There was not much help for him from Lamar Odom or Andrew Bynum, two of the Lakers starters.
The fallback will be that Lamar Odom is recovering from injury and that Andrew Bynum is still young. Another perspective is that they are not a good fit for the Lakers. Both have streaks of tremendous promise and then they almost disappear on the court. They become non-factors, as the box score of last night’s game shows.
This must be maddening for Kobe Bryant. Performances such as last night not only lead to an embarrassing defeat but it lowers the trade value of these two Lakers. What general manager, aside from perhaps Isiah Thomas in New York, would take the chance? This inconsistency has characterized the tandem of Bryant and Odom from the onset. And the ‘youth excuse’ for Andrew Bynum pales in comparison to one of his equally young team mates. Jordan Farmar, a non starter, played twenty five minutes and had thirteen points. And he is young too, with one year less professional basketball experience than Andrew Bynum.
It is going to be a long season for the Lakers. At times, they will be surprisingly good. And then there will be long nights like the visit with the Celtics – very long nights.
Catherine Forsythe
[tag]nba, boston celtics, l.a. lakers, lamar odom, andrew bynum, jordan farmar, trades[/tag]